August 14, 1914: The War Measures Act passes Parliament (the oft-cited date of August 22 refers to it receiving Royal Assent). Suspending nearly all civil rights, the First World War, the Second World War, and the FLQ October Crisis were the only times when the Act was put into force. Contrary to what the name implies, it could be used not only during times of war, but also during insurrections and periods where war or invasion was merely apprehended. It has since been replaced by the Emergencies Act of 1988. The War Measures Act allowed the Governor-in-Council (i.e. ruling partys cabinet) to have complete control over everything from what factories should be producing to what ships could enter or leave Canadian ports. But the most controversial, at least in the following years, were the uncontested control over the following: 1. censorship of all communications and media 2. arrest, detention, exclusion, and deportation of persons Without having to go through the standard judicial process thats the hallmark of democracies, the Prime Minister and his Cabinet could decree what was to be censored, who should be arrested, and who would be stripped of their citizenship. It was through these provisions that the various internment camps for so-called enemy aliens were set up throughout the country in both World Wars, unjustly confining Canadians based merely on their ancestry. Do you think such an act would pass today? The full text of the original Act can be downloaded in PDF form from the Council of Foreign Relations website: i.cfr.org/content/publications/attachments/War%20Measures%20Act.pdf
Posted on: Thu, 14 Aug 2014 19:37:57 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015