Anti-Terrorism Act, 2015: A History of Canadian security legislation

Abstract

The 2014 attacks on Parliament Hill and the killing of Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent prompted the Conservative government, led by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, to table Bill C-51, An Act To Enact The Security Of Canada Information Sharing Act And The Secure Air Travel Act, To Amend The Criminal Code, The Canadian Security Intelligence Act And The Immigration And Refugee Protection Act And To Make Related And Consequential Amendments To Other Acts (2015). The legislation was highly controversial due to the amendments that granted sweeping powers to our national security agencies. Supporters argued the legislation was necessary to combat global terrorist groups, whereas detractors argued the proposed legislation put civil rights at serious risk of abuse. Once passed into law as the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2015, newly elected Prime Minister Justin Trudeau began the process of amending the law in keeping with his 2015 election promise. The Liberals launched a public consultation process that resulted in the tabling of new legislation: Bill C-59. This research project will analyze the history of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2015, including its creation and criticisms. The overarching objective of the research project is to understand how Bill C-51, later the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2015 came to fruition, and why the current Liberal government is attempting to replace it. National security legislation is important since our national security agencies operate according to the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2015, and understanding the implications of the current law, and the changes proposed in Bill C-59 affect all Canadians.