Rights groups call on Quebec not to appeal ruling on police checks
A group of community organizations representing minorities is calling on the Quebec government not to appeal a recent Superior Court decision against racial profiling by police.
The coalition of groups sent a letter to Public Security Minister Francois Bonnardel Monday asking him to take the lead following a recent decision in favour of a Black man who felt he had been racially profiled by police.
Officers pulled over Joseph-Christopher Luamba 10 times while driving his car in the 18 months after he got his driver's licence.
The 22-year-old filed a lawsuit against the Canadian and Quebec governments, arguing police had violated his rights and that the practice of random police checks was unconstitutional.
Quebec Superior Court judge Michel Yergeau ruled in his favour on Oct. 25, saying it did indeed violate Luamba's rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
"The preponderant evidence shows that over time, the arbitrary power granted to the police to carry out roadside stops without cause has become for some of them a vector, even a safe conduit for racial profiling against the Black community," Yergeau wrote in his ruling.
The judge gave the Quebec government six months to stop the practice.
The government also had 30 days to appeal the decision. That deadline is in two weeks.
The coalition of groups held a news conference Monday calling on the government to not appeal the decision but also to go a step further and return to a previous article of the province's Highway Safety Act, Article 636.
"This morning, essentially, we’re asking the government to go back to the future. In other words, we’re asking the government to go back to way Article 636 was written in 1990. At the time, police officers had to have reasonable motives or reasonable suspicion that a violation of the Highway Safety Act had been violated in order to be allowed to pull the vehicle over. So that is essentially what we are asking, is to go back to that article," said Alain Babineau, director of the Red Coalition.
The groups say this change would not prevent officers from still making random checks during, for example, the holiday season, when they are looking for drivers under the influence.
In addition, they also say that police should have to issue a receipt to every driver they intercept randomly and on that ticket, explain the reason they were stopped as well as the perceived race of the driver.
This would help organizations and police gather the race-based data that they say would help create a clearer picture of who is being stopped and why – and if there is a problem with people of colour being stopped more frequently.
Quebec Premier François Legault and the chief Quebec City police force have said they are against ending random stop checks of Quebecers.
The coalition of groups sent a letter to Public Security Minister Francois Bonnardel Monday asking him to take the lead following a recent decision in favour of a Black man who felt he had been racially profiled by police.
Officers pulled over Joseph-Christopher Luamba 10 times while driving his car in the 18 months after he got his driver's licence.
The 22-year-old filed a lawsuit against the Canadian and Quebec governments, arguing police had violated his rights and that the practice of random police checks was unconstitutional.
Quebec Superior Court judge Michel Yergeau ruled in his favour on Oct. 25, saying it did indeed violate Luamba's rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
"The preponderant evidence shows that over time, the arbitrary power granted to the police to carry out roadside stops without cause has become for some of them a vector, even a safe conduit for racial profiling against the Black community," Yergeau wrote in his ruling.
The judge gave the Quebec government six months to stop the practice.
The government also had 30 days to appeal the decision. That deadline is in two weeks.
The coalition of groups held a news conference Monday calling on the government to not appeal the decision but also to go a step further and return to a previous article of the province's Highway Safety Act, Article 636.
"This morning, essentially, we’re asking the government to go back to the future. In other words, we’re asking the government to go back to way Article 636 was written in 1990. At the time, police officers had to have reasonable motives or reasonable suspicion that a violation of the Highway Safety Act had been violated in order to be allowed to pull the vehicle over. So that is essentially what we are asking, is to go back to that article," said Alain Babineau, director of the Red Coalition.
The groups say this change would not prevent officers from still making random checks during, for example, the holiday season, when they are looking for drivers under the influence.
In addition, they also say that police should have to issue a receipt to every driver they intercept randomly and on that ticket, explain the reason they were stopped as well as the perceived race of the driver.
This would help organizations and police gather the race-based data that they say would help create a clearer picture of who is being stopped and why – and if there is a problem with people of colour being stopped more frequently.
Quebec Premier François Legault and the chief Quebec City police force have said they are against ending random stop checks of Quebecers.
Recent
Attaque raciste à la hache: une famille de Terrebonne condamnée à vivre à côté de son agresseur présumé
February 1st, 2024
The Red Coalition hits back against a lawsuit brought on by a black Montreal Theatre performer
January 22nd, 2024
Terrebonne attack:"Don't forget the hate factor" Coalition tells prosecutors
January 10th, 2024
Parents call for reforms after Winnipeg police fatally shot 19-year-old son
January 8th, 2024
Terrebonne: attaquées à la hache par leur voisin blanc
December 29th, 2023
Archive
2024
January
2023
January
Family of Montreal man killed while unlawfully jailed wants systemic racism inquiryLa famille de l’homme demande une enquête sur le racisme systémiqueSystemic racism inquiry called for by family of man who died after being pepper-sprayed at Bordeaux prisonDétenu mort à la prison de Bordeaux: une coalition exige plus de transparence sur le milieu carcéralUN GROUPE ANTIRACISTE RÉCLAME UNE ENQUÊTE PUBLIQUE SUR LA MORT DU DÉTENU DE BORDEAUXRights group seeks public inquiry into death of man in Montreal jailLobby group seeks public inquiry in Montreal man's jail deathAnti-racism group calls for release of video in connection with Montreal jail deathCivil rights group calls for inquiry into death of illegally jailed 21-year-old black manUne coalition réclame la publication de la vidéo de l’interventionLobby group seeks public inquiry, release of video in Montreal man’s jail deathAnti-racism group claims Quebec told Longueuil police to ignore court order on racial profilingAllison Hanes: Montreal prison death demands urgent answersRed Coalition: Quebec ministry told Longueuil police force to defy court order on racial profilingQuebec told Longueuil police to disregard court order on racial profiling, says anti-racism groupCivil rights group accuses Quebec of covering up race-based police dataQue s’est-il passé à Bordeaux ?Public inquiry ordered into jail death of illegally detained Montreal manPublic inquest to be held into death of man in Montreal jailChief coroner orders public inquiry into death of 21-year-old illegally detained at Bordeaux jailCoroner orders public inquiry into Montreal man's jail deathIl y aura une enquête publique du coroner sur la mort de Nicous SpringRed Coalition calling for investigation into systemic racism in Quebec jailsChief Coroner orders public inquiry into death of Nicous SpringPolice union head tells Montreal's new chief: staffing shortages 1st, community policing 2ndPROFILAGE RACIAL: UNE PLAINTE OFFICIELLE DÉPOSÉE CONTRE LA VILLE DE LONGUEUILCoalition alleges contempt of court against LongueuilPROFILAGE RACIAL: «LA CAQ DOIT TENIR SES PROMESSES», ESTIME LA COALITION ROUGEGroups to kick off Black History Month with measures to fight racism
February
Anti-racism group accuses Montreal-area school of systemic racismCalls grow to change streets named after Christopher Columbus on island of MontrealQuebec sisters afraid to go school, say racism complaints ignoredGroup says private school near Montreal ignored racism complaintsCas de racisme et de cyberintimidation au Collège Bourget de RigaudUn citoyen souhaite «annuler» Christophe Colomb à Pointe-ClaireRACISME ET CYBERINTIMIDATION: LE COLLÈGE BOURGET MIS EN DEMEUREBlack anti-racism groups lob volleys at Canada and QuebecProminent Quebeckers voice support for Trudeau’s anti-Islamophobia representativeProminent Québecers plead for federal anti-Islamophobia rep to be given a chancePetition against Bill 21 tabled at National AssemblyMontreal police brotherhood says it's too easy to blame its members for racial profilingLongueuil, other Quebec police slow in implementing race-based data frameworkAucune accusation ne sera portée contre les policiers qui ont tué Junior OlivierCalls for police accountability as officers who fatally shot Jean René Olivier face no chargesLack of care on Loyola property "unacceptable":DeBellefeuilleGroups call to cancel puppet show featuring minstrel characterUn spectacle pour enfants sème la controverse dans l’ouest de MontréalUn exemple de « racisme systémique », dénoncent des associationsLocal Montreal play carries on despite upset over controversial puppetFamily of man killed by Repentigny police says lawsuit incomingLa mère de Jean-René Junior Olivier poursuit la Ville de RepentignyLa mère de Jean-René Junior Olivier, abattu par des policiers de Repentigny en août 2021, a déposé une poursuite contre la Ville de RepentignyFamily of Black man killed by Repentigny police files to sue city for $430K in damages
March
Red Coalition alleges SPVM withholding findings on racial profilingAnti-racism group says Montreal police withheld findings of racial profiling reportUN GROUPE ANTIRACISTE AFFIRME QUE LE SPVM A RETENU LES CONCLUSIONS D'UN RAPPORT SUR LE PROFILAGE RACIALThis boarded-up building lays bare Montreal's crumbling social housing systemCity of Longueuil facing contempt charges related to police racial profilingLE PROFILAGE RACIAL EXERCÉ PAR LA POLICE DANS LA MIRE DU MINISTRE BONNARDELQuebec Bill on police practices facing criticismEthics complaint filed against Montreal executive committee chairperson"Smokescreen; a dog and pony show"City of Longueuil, Que. gets postponement of contempt of court charges
May
Pearson Board denies allegations of systemic racism, assaultAllegations of discrimination and racism at Montreal-area elementary schoolPlea to integrate permanent residents into Quebec police forcesPlaidoyer pour intégrer des résidents permanents au sein des corps policiers québécoisPolicier au Québec: un métier encore fermé aux résidents permanents
July
Red Coalition to SPVM: amend random stops policyLa Coalition rouge presse le SPVM de «réviser» sa Politique d’interpellationRed Coalition demanding Montreal police review street checks policyUn groupe de pression veut recenser l’ethnicité des personnes interpelléesAnti-racism group wants Montreal police to review street check policy'Unusual time to be driving': Anti-racism group calls on Montreal police to modify street checksKirkland resident says he was pulled over in NDG for being BlackLaval police handcuff, illegally search Black military man’s home after street check: Red CoalitionLaval man accuses police of racial profiling, intends to file human rights complaintMilitary aerospace engineer says he was racially profiled by Laval policeCanadian Forces’ member out for run ‘mocked,’ alleges racial profiling by policeMan alleges random police stop in South Shore led to illegal search, fine for contraband cigarettesMontreal man to file human rights complaint over traffic stop by Roussillon police‘Gross incompetence:’ Man ticketed for contraband cigarettes says he was racially profiled
September
October
Montreal man handcuffed, fined after SQ traffic stop; racial profiling complaint filedAnti-racism group says two Black Montreal firefighters faced years of racial abuseBlack Montreal firefighters allege racism in the workplaceLe Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal visé par une plainte devant la Commission des droits de la personneUne plainte déposée contre le SIM pour racisme et discrimination systémiqueAnti-racism group says two Black Montreal firefighters faced years of racial abuse
Categories
no categories