The Bill C 51 is a law in Canada that hampers various features which makes a society civilized. The bill is mainly controversial for the rights and powers it grants to the RCMP and CSIS. From Amnesty International to Human Rights Watch every organization is of the view that there are already anti-terrorism laws implemented in Canada. There is no need of separate bill to be implemented in this regard. It is for the same reason that Bill C 51 was very much scrutinized before it was made a law. The human rights organizations in Canada are not satisfied even after this. Keeping mass criticism aside the Canadian government has made the controversial Bill C 51 a law. The RCMP and CSIS now enjoy greater control over the info of common Canadian which is again not good for the Canadian society. Bill C 51 has several features added to it. Some of the most important ones are listed as under.
Terrorism promotion is strictly forbidden
Bill C 51 first of all states that if a Canadian is caught and there is significant evidence against him then he would be jailed. The jail terms and the chances of paroles are all mentioned as per the severity of the crime. The maximum term which he will get in this regard is 5 years. It is a known fact that manipulating with the evidence is something that can be done with ease. It simply means that Bill C 51 can make an innocent land in jail for a crime which he has not committed. The right to free speech is also chilled by this clause which means that a person cannot express the opinion on any issues freely.
Physical promotion of terrorism banned completely
It is again one of the most important issues which Bill C 51 presents to the Canadian. RCMP can now easily obtain a warrant against a person that they believe is promoting terrorism by distributing the literature physically. The court will then decide that whether or not the material is related to terrorism. The biggest issue with this clause is that it is already added to the criminal code of Canada, secondly what will happen if the court finds that the literature was not related to terrorism. The issue will get complex if the online side of the story will be embedded in the case. This clause according to Amnesty International will only traumatize the person if he or she is innocent.
Arrests without warrant
This is the most disturbing part of the law. It will allow the RCMP and in high profile cases the CSIS to arrest the person of interest without any warrant. If the police believe that a person has a potential to promote or carry out the act of terrorism then he or she can be arrested without any warrant. The main idea behind this clause is to make sure that the terrorist acts are prevented as much as possible. The related interrogation will also be kept a secret and there is no way for the convict to get the copies.
