Groups file response to government’s fight against solitary confinement
VANCOUVER — The head of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association says the group is ready to take on the federal government in a dispute over fixing a law that violates the rights of inmates in solitary confinement.
“Frankly, it’s offensive that the government is requiring us to continue this fight to the (B.C.) Court of Appeal and potentially to the Supreme Court (of Canada) when they were elected on a promise to fix this,” Josh Paterson said.
He announced Tuesday that the association and the John Howard Society of Canada have filed a response to the government’s appeal of a court ruling that calls on the government to strike down a law on indefinite segregation because it causes permanent psychological harm and can lead to suicide.
“If they’re going to fight it, well, we’ll fight it,” Paterson said.