THIRD ANNUAL REPORTS TO PARLIAMENT
ON THE ANTI-TERRORISM ACT

OTTAWA, May 19, 2005 – The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Irwin Cotler and Anne McLellan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, announced today the tabling in Parliament of their annual reports on the Anti-terrorism Act.

The Act requires the government to report annually to Parliament on the use of investigative hearings, recognizance with conditions and arrests without warrant. None of these provisions were used by the federal government during the one-year reporting period ending December 23, 2004.

"These provisions are necessary preventive measures that allow us to remain vigilant to an ongoing threat to the security of our democracy and fundamental human rights," said Justice Minister Cotler. "At the same time, the review and reporting requirements are relevant oversight and accountability mechanisms to ensure that the fundamental rights and freedoms of Canadians are protected in conformity with the rule of law."

"These powers provide Canadian law enforcement with the tools needed to act quickly to save lives," said Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan. "The fact that these preventive measures have not been used demonstrates that law enforcement officials are sensitive to the serious implications of using these powers."

The Anti-terrorism Act was designed specifically to protect and ensure the safety of Canadians. It has four objectives: stopping terrorists from getting into Canada and protecting Canadians from terrorist acts; enhancing tools to identify, prosecute, convict and punish terrorists; preventing the Canada-U.S. border from being held hostage by terrorists and impacting on the Canadian economy; and working with the international community to bring terrorists to justice and to address the root causes of hatred. The Anti-terrorism Act is subject to Parliamentary review, which is under way in both the House of Commons and in the Senate.

The Annual report on Arrest without Warrant is available on the Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada website at: www.psepc.gc.ca

The Annual report on Investigative Hearings and Recognizance with Conditions is available on the Department of Justice website at: http://canada.justice.gc.ca/en/anti_terr/reports.html

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Ref:

Denise Rudnicki
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Justice
(613) 992-4621

Media Relations Office
Department of Justice
(613) 957-4207

Alex Swann
Director of Communications
Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
(613) 991-2863

Media Relations Office
Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada
(613) 991-0657