The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA; ) is a nonprofit organization in Canada devoted to the defence of civil liberties and constitutional rights.
History
The CCLA was founded in 1964 in Toronto, prompted by the Ontario government's proposal of a bill that would have granted special powers to the police in the face of a rise in organized crime. Its predecessor was the Association for Civil Liberties (ACL). At its foundation, the ACL had been intended to address national issues; however, its focus shifted primarily to issues specific to Ontario. The ACL was led by Irving Himel, and in response to the bill, he gathered human rights leaders in Toronto, including Pierre Berton, June Callwood, Bora Laskin, Mark MacGuigan, Harry Arthurs, and John Keiller MacKay, and they formed the CCLA with Mackay as its honorary president.
Nathalie Des Rosiers was CCLA's general counsel from 2009 to 2013.
Sukanya Pillay was executive director and general counsel from 2014 until 2017, and had been acting general counsel from 2013 to 2014.
Former Attorney-General of Ontario Michael Bryant was appointed executive director and general counsel in 2018 and served until January 1, 2022 when he left to become executive director of Legal Aid BC.
Noa Mendelsohn-Aviv was appointed executive director and general counsel on February 9, 2022. She served until December 2024.
Abby Deshman was appointed interim executive director and general counsel in December 2024.
Howard Sapers was appointed executive director and general counsel on July 15, 2025.
- Canadian Civil Liberties Association - Canadian Political Parties and Political Interest Groups - Web Archive created by the University of Toronto Libraries
See also
- Canadian Civil Liberties Education Trust
- British Columbia Civil Liberties Association
- American Civil Liberties Union
- American Civil Rights Union
- New York Civil Liberties Union