The Anti-terrorism Act

Justice Canada and Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada

Summary Report: Public Consultation with Ethnocultural and Religious Communities on the Impact of the
Anti-terrorism Act

November 29, 2004
Ottawa, Ontario

Page 6

This document is a summary of the views expressed by the participants and does not reflect the views of the Department of Justice or the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada.

Conclusion

Mark Berlin thanked the participants for their time, effort, and contributions. He outlined next steps, including the provision of a summary report of the proceedings, follow-up discussions with the Minister of Justice, reports from Ministers to their Cabinet colleagues, and discussions of provincial jurisdictional issues.

A number of undertakings were made, including:

• to provide a summary report of the proceedings to the participants;
• to inform the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada of the content of the discussions during the consultation;
• that Ministers have indicated that they would consider reporting to their Cabinet colleagues on the consultation;
• although no further consultations were planned at the time, that the Department of Justice would consider the possibility of further consultations, either formal or informal;
• to accept further written submissions regarding the impact of the Anti-terrorism Act on ethnocultural and religious communities;
• that the Minister of Justice would advise his provincial and territorial counterparts on the outcome of the consultation;
• that senior officials would discuss the results of the consultation at the next meeting of the Federal Provincial and Territorial Coordinating Committee of Senior Officials;
• to establish a website on the Parliamentary Review of the Anti-terrorism Act; and
• that officials from Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada would meet with senior officials from the RCMP, CSIS and the Canada Border Services Agency to inform them of concerns that relate to policing and law enforcement.

On behalf of the Departments of Justice and Public Safety, Berlin expressed appreciation for the time and effort that individuals made to participate.

Annex 1: List of Participating Organizations

African Canadian Legal Clinic
B'nai Brith
Canadian Arab Federation
Canadian Council for Refugees
The Canadian Council of Churches
Canadian Council of Muslim Women
Canadian Ethnocultural Council
Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiative
Canadian Jewish Congress
Canadian Muslim Lawyers Association
Canadian Race Relations Foundation
Coalition of Muslim Organizations
Council on American/Islamic Relations Canada
Evangelical Fellowship of Canada
India Canada Association
Muslim Canadian Congress
Muslim Students Association of the United States and Canada
National Anti-Racism Council of Canada
National Organization of Immigrant and Visible Minority Women of Canada
Somali Centre for Family Services
Sri Lanka United National Association
World Sikh Organization

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Updated to April 1, 2008.