In a letter addressed to the justice and public safety ministries, the CBA welcomed the report since it addresses anti-terrorism legislation and the delivery of humanitarian aid abroad. However, it noticed that despite several Canadian charities’ strong desire to operate in Afghanistan, Canada’s anti-terrorism financing regime has been impeding their timely delivery of humanitarian aid for years.
For instance, s. 83.03(b) of the Criminal Code provides that a person may be punished if they collect property, provide or invite a person to provide, or make available property or financial or other related services, knowing that they will be used by or benefit a terrorist group. While s. 83.04 also states that it is unlawful for an organization to use property for the purpose of facilitating a terrorist activity.
“This can potentially include instances where…
