Lawyer says new bill could cause ramped up surveillance of vulnerable Nova Scotians
Halifax-based legal aid agency Dalhousie Legal Aid is urging the provincial government to abandon proposed legislative changes that could lead to increased surveillance of vulnerable Nova Scotians, according to Nadia Shivji, a lawyer with the agency. The expansion of the Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act, introduced in an omnibus bill, allows residents without a neighborhood connection to submit anonymous complaints about criminal activity in their area.
Shivji worries this could disproportionately impact Black, Indigenous and immigrant communities. Justice Minister Scott Armstrong maintains the changes target higher-level crime, including organized crime and human trafficking, and does not believe they will disproportionately affect marginalized groups.
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