A Campbell River law firm and a Vancouver legal aid society are teaming up to challenge Canada’s laws against drug possession.
They will argue in court that prohibiting drug possession violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, particularly the section which guarantees the right to life, liberty, and security, and protects against cruel and unusual treatment and punishment.
While BC has decriminalized possession of 2.5 grams or less of hard drugs including heroin, the lawyers will argue that’s not enough. They say it’s a hardship for people struggling with addiction in remote communities, and for people without homes.
The challenge was filed in Courtenay court by lawyer Sarah Runyon and the Pivot Legal Society, on behalf of a Courtenay man who was charged with possession in 2022.
