Why did the government consult on lawful access?
It is important for Canadians to participate in the development of Canada’s laws and public policy. The government sought stakeholder input in order to assist in the development of updated lawful access legislation that will: • Allow law enforcement and national security agencies acting with lawful authority to have effective access to communications and information; • Continue to preserve and protect the rights and freedoms of all people in Canada, including privacy; and • Ensure no competitive disadvantages are placed on the Canadian telecommunications industry. The Government of Canada released a consultation paper on lawful access in August 2002, which invited Canadians to submit views on these issues. The paper outlined proposals to ensure Canada’s lawful access laws keep pace with new technologies. A number of submissions were received and have been summarized in a report posted on the Department of Justice website at http://canada.justice.gc.ca/eng/cons/la-al/index.html. The gov
