Civil Liberties Naughty and Nice List (2025)
Our annual Christmas-themed civil liberties report uses a fun “naughty and nice” list to look back at government actions over 2025. It highlights the decisions that did the most harm to Canadians’ freedoms or ignored constitutional boundaries on the “naughty list,” and celebrates the (increasingly rare!) moments when governments or courts got it right on the “nice list.”
Safety Above All: How the culture of "safetyism" is eroding civil liberties in Canada (2025)
This timely report examines how the prioritization of physical and emotional safety above all other values undermines the foundational freedoms of Canadians. The report includes a compelling “Top 10” list of the most severe cases of “safetyism” from Canadian legal history. Using historical events and legislative trends that reflect a growing tension between state-driven safety initiatives and individual rights, readers are invited to question: when does protection become overreach?
Civil Liberties Naughty or Nice List (2024)
This Christmas-themed civil liberties report takes the fun form of a “naughty and nice” list ranking different government actions over the 12 months of 2024. The downloadable document lists the government actions which showed the least respect for Canadians’ fundamental freedoms or constitutional division of powers in the “naughty list,” and the times the governments or courts got things right on the “nice list.”
Free Speech in Canada: A beginner's guide from ancient roots to current controversies (2024)
In an era where freedom of expression faces unprecedented challenges, “Free Speech in Canada” serves as a vital guide for understanding and protecting your rights. From historical milestones to contemporary issues, each chapter explores landmark cases and legal principles that have shaped the landscape of free expression in Canada. Whether you’re a concerned citizen, a student of law, or simply someone passionate about civil liberties, this book equips you with the knowledge and tools to advocate for a freer, more democratic future.
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Pandemic Panic: How Canadian Government Responses to COVID-19 Changed Civil Liberties Forever (2023)
This book by CCF Executive Director Joanna Baron and Litigation Director Christine van Geyn presents a critical and comprehensive assessment of the impact of the pandemic on civil liberties. Learn what went wrong during the pandemic from the nuanced perspective of constitutional experts – when government reactions were over the top, and when the courts failed to correct government overreach. The book presents a balanced perspective, which allows readers to come to their own conclusions.
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Healthcare Choice in Canada (2023)
Freedom Through Federalism (2022)
Life after COVID (2021)
Grading our Leaders:
Respect for the constitution during the COVID-19 crisis (2020)
By CCF Law Intern Josh Dehaas, CCF Executive Director Joanna Baron and CCF Litigation Director Christine Van Geyn
In the Summer of 2020, the Canadian Constitution Foundation released a report grading the COVID-19 policy responses by Canada’s leaders. The report assigns a letter grade to each of the provincial premiers and the prime minister, and analyzes select mayors.
Marks were assigned based on how well Canada’s political leaders respected six dimensions of constitutional norms; (1) democracy and rules of law; (2) freedom of assembly and speech; (3) mobility rights; (4) freedom of religion and conscience; (5) life, liberty and security of person, and; (6) privacy rights.
Canadian Vaping: Overview and Constitutional Issues (2020)
By Dr. Leonid Sirota, Auckland University of Technology Law School
The Canadian Constitution Foundation released on February 20, 2020 a report by Dr. Leonid Sirota, professor of law at the Auckland University of Technology Law School, that outlines possible avenues for a constitutional challenge to current and proposed vaping legislation in Canada. The report highlights the rights of a specific but important—and vulnerable— group: current smokers who are looking to quit.
The report analyzes various constitutional concerns about the regulation of vaping, both in terms of the laws falling outside of federal jurisdiction as well as running afoul of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Not Admitted Free:
Interprovincial trade barriers in alcohol (2018)
By CCF Intern Gianfranco Terrazzano
Published on June 29, 2018, this report takes a critical look at Canada’s interprovincial barriers to trade in alcohol.
Comparing and ranking the provinces, the report considers factors such as: price relative to other goods, openness to interprovincial trade, range of products available, whether provincial regulations favour local products, freedom to transport alcohol into the province, public control of sales, and marketing restrictions.
The report also makes the legal and economic case for free trade within Canada for a general audience and summarizes existing studies showing the high cost of interprovincial trade barriers generally, and also specifically with alcohol.
Vaping and the Law (2017)
By CCF Staff Lawyer Derek From and CCF Law Intern Lauren Millar
On February 23, 2017, the CCF released its report “Vaping and the Law,” the first ever comprehensive study of e-cigarette regulations in Canada.
Our general recommendation is that Canadian jurisdictions look to the United Kingdom for guidance in developing and implementing e-cigarette laws and regulations. The U.K. government has accepted that e-cigarettes are a much less harmful alternative to cigarette smoking, especially for those unable or unwilling to quit their nicotine habit altogether. Since 2000, the number of cigarette-smoking adults in England has fallen by one-third and smoking by youth has fallen by two-thirds.
Civil Forfeiture in Canada (2016)
By CCF Staff Lawyer Derek From and CCF Law Intern Ellen Bolger
Released on March 7, 2016, “Civil Forfeiture in Canada” was released by the Canadian Constitution Foundation and the Institute for Liberal Studies as the first comprehensive look at Canada’s provincial civil forfeiture laws.
Our research shows that Canada has a serious and growing problem with civil forfeiture. It has become an abuse of power that treats innocent property owners worse than criminals. For the reasons we discuss in our report, this should be a significant concern for Canadians of all political stripes.
