WPC u9{Xw AʇD[$ )G<}~.d|")꾌EX6W*+\Xy7\+Y7+֨م@w=4LU> 0 0<q 0Y 0_ 0ie % 0 0({ D+ AM  0N+ 0y #? UNMN(RNz^ |w4 m\  `&Times New Roman' M.A.B., W.A.T. and J.-A.Y.T. v. Canada, Communication No. 570/1993, U.N. Doc. CCPR/C/50/D/4.N. Doc. CCPR/C/50/D/"Angie Dituri"0Angie Dituri .   6F , 4Heading 3 S p^S   XXX p^S<:Default Para64Hyperlink    <:FollowedHype    < :Normal (Web) S =jS =jSX Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5(2$  !..      XdXXXXdXXXd  ($'dxd A<< c#|x(O$( $..      XaXXXXaXXXaHP LaserJet 4000 Series PS0(hH  Z6Times New Roman RegularS) .)+00U  !..      XdXXXXdXXXd  _ HUMANRIGHTSCOMMITTEE  _M.A.B._,_W.A.T._ԀandJ._A.Y.T._Ԁv.Canada | CommunicationNo.570/1993*/ H 8April1994  d _CCPR_/C/50/D/570/1993  0 ADMISSIBILITY    Submittedby:_M.A.B._,_W.A.T._ԀandJ._A.Y.T._Ԁ[namesdeleted] D  Allegedvictims:Theauthors ` Stateparty:Canada , Dateofcommunication:14October1993    TheHumanRightsCommittee,establishedunderarticle28oftheInternationalCovenant Z onCivilandPoliticalRights, @ Meetingon8April1994,  \ Adoptsthefollowing: (    Decisiononadmissibility    1.Theauthorsofthecommunicationare_M.A.B._,_W.A.T._ԀandJ._A.Y.T._,threeCanadian <#" citizensandmembersofanorganizationnamed"AssemblyoftheChurchoftheUniverse", "$r# basedinHamilton,Ontario,Canada.TheyclaimtobevictimsofviolationsbyCanadaof %X $ articles9,14,15and17oftheInternationalCovenantonCivilandPoliticalRights. %>!% Thefactsaspresentedbytheauthors: ' #' 2.1Theauthorsareleadingmembersand"plenipotentiaries"ofthe"AssemblyoftheChurch )$) oftheUniverse",whosebeliefsandpractices,accordingtotheauthors,necessarilyinvolve l*%* thecare,cultivation,possession,distribution,maintenance,integrityandworshipofthe R+&+ "Sacrament"oftheChurch.Whereastheauthorsalsorefertothis"Sacrament"as"God'stree 8,', oflife",itisgenerallyknownunderthedesignation cannabissativa ormarijuana. -n(- Ї2.2SincethefoundationoftheChurch,severalofitsmembershavecomeintoconflictwith  thelaw,astheirrelationshipwithandworshipofmarijuanafallswithinthescopeof  applicationoftheprovisionsoftheCanadian NarcoticControlAct . | 2.3On17October1990,aconstableoftheRoyalCanadianMountedPolice(R.C.M.P.) H enteredtheChurch'spremisesinHamilton,Ontario,underthepretextofwishingtojointhe . ~ Churchandtopurchasethe"ChurchSacrament".Shewasofferedafewgramsofmarijuana,  d whichledtothearrestof_W.A.T._ԀandJ._A.Y.T._ԀAllofthemarijuanaandmoneyfoundin  J theirpossessionwereconfiscatedandtheywereorderedtostandtrialbeforeajury,under  0 thetermsofsection4ofthe NarcoticControlAct .FurtherinvestigationsintotheChurch's    activitiesandpropertiesalsoledtothearrestanddetentionof_M.A.B._    2.4Thetrialof_W.A.T._ԀandJ._A.Y.T._Ԁwasscheduledtocommencebeforeacourtin x  Hamiltonon1November1993,andthetrialof_M.A.B._Ԁwasscheduledtobeginon14 ^  November1993.Anotheractionbasedonunspecifiedchargesagainst_M.A.B._Ԁfiledinthe D  courseof1987,wasscheduledtobeheardduringtheweekbeginning13December19931. *z  Itisthusobviousthattheauthorshavenotyetexhaustedavailabledomesticremediesin ` Canada. F 2.5Itshouldbenotedthatthejudicialauthorities,beforedecidingtoheartheauthors'cases,  soughttodismisstheirargumentsonthebasisoffrivolousness;fromtheauthors'  submission,itappearsthatalloftheauthors'claimsbaseduponallegedviolationsoftheir  freedomofreligionandconsciencewereindeeddismissedbytheCanadiancourts.Thus, t "manynoticesofApplicationforLeavetoAppealtotheSupremeCourtofCanada"have Z beendismissed,andanapplicationforleavetoappealtotheJudicialCommitteeofthePrivy @ Council(sic)hasbeen"illegallyignored". &v Thecomplaint: B 3.1Theauthorscontendthattheyaredeniedafairandpublichearingbeforeanimpartial  andindependenttribunal.Theycontendthattheirpreviouscourtactionsandconstitutional  challengesintheFederalCourtofCanada,directedagainsttheactionorinactionofthe   OntariocourtsandtheAttorneyGeneral,bothattheprovincialandfederallevel,havenot p!  beenheard.Itisapparentfromtheauthors'submissionthattheycontendthatthereisno V"! independentorimpartialforuminCanadatoheartheircomplaint.Thus,theircomplaintis <#" directedagainsttheParliamentofCanada,theFederalCourtofCanada,theSupremeCourt "$r# ofCanada,theR.C.M.P.,HerMajestytheQueeninRightofCanada,theParliamentof %X $ OntarioandthecourtsofOntario. %>!% 3.2Theauthorsfurthercontendthattheirfollowingrightshavebeenviolated: ' #' (a)Theirrighttolibertyandsecurityofperson; )$) (b)Theirrightnottobesubjectedtoarbitraryarrestanddetention; R+&+ (c)Theirrighttofreedomfrominterferencewiththeirprivacy; -n(- Ї(d)Theirrighttobefreefromunlawfulattackontheir_honour_Ԁandreputation;  (e)Theirrighttoprotectionofthelawagainstsuchinterference; | (f)Theirrighttofreedomofthought,conscienceandreligionandtomanifestthesebeliefs H inworship,practiceandreligion;and . ~ (g)Theirrighttobefreefromanycoercionwhichwouldimpairtheirfreedomtohaveorto  J adoptareligionorbeliefoftheirchoice.  0 3.3TheauthorsrequesttheCommitteetointercedetostoptheproceedingsinstitutedagainst    them.TheyrequestattendanceattheCommittee's"hearing"oftheircase,therightto   videotapetheproceedings,aswellasawritofprohibitionpreventingtheCanadian x  Governmentanditsagenciesfrom"persecutingandprosecutingtheapplicants[as]regards ^  themanifestationoftheirreligiousbeliefsinworship,observance,practiceandteaching D  pertainingtothecultivation,distributionanduseoftheChurchSacrament...". *z  IssuesandproceedingsbeforetheCommittee: F 4.1Beforeconsideringanyclaimscontainedinacommunication,theHumanRights  Committeemust,inaccordancewithrule87ofitsrulesofprocedure,decidewhetherornot  thecommunicationisadmissibleundertheOptionalProtocoltotheCovenant.  4.2Takingintoaccounttherequirementslaiddowninarticles2and3oftheOptional Z Protocol,theCommitteehasexaminedwhetherthefactsassubmittedwouldraise prima @ facie issuesunderanyprovisionoftheCovenant.Itconcludesthattheydonot.Inparticular, &v abeliefconsistingprimarilyorexclusivelyintheworshipanddistributionofanarcoticdrug  \ cannotconceivablybebroughtwithinthescopeofarticle18oftheCovenant(freedomof B religionandconscience);norcanarrestforpossessionanddistributionofanarcoticdrug ( conceivablycomewithinthescopeofarticle9,paragraph1,oftheCovenant(freedomfrom  arbitraryarrestanddetention).  4.3TheCommitteefurtherobservesthattheconditionsfordeclaringacommunication p!  admissibleinclude, interalia ,thattheclaimssubmittedbesufficientlysubstantiatedanddo V"! notconstituteanabuseoftherightofsubmission.Theauthors'communicationrevealsthat <#" theseconditionshavenotbeenmet.Inparticular,theallegationsagainstthejudicial "$r# authoritiesofCanadaareofasweepingnatureandhavenotbeensubstantiatedinsuchaway %X $ astoshowhowtheauthorswouldqualifyasvictimswithinthemeaningofarticle1ofthe %>!% OptionalProtocol.Thissituationjustifiesdoubtsabouttheseriousnessoftheauthors'claims &$"& underarticle14andleadstheCommitteetoconcludethattheyconstituteanabuseofthe ' #' rightofsubmissionunderarticle3oftheOptionalProtocol. (#( 5.TheHumanRightsCommitteethereforedecides: l*%* (a)Thecommunicationisinadmissibleunderarticles2and3oftheOptionalProtocol; 8,',  -n(- (b)Thatthisdecisionshallbecommunicatedtotheauthorsand,forinformation,totheState  party.  [AdoptedinEnglish,FrenchandSpanish,theFrenchtextbeingtheoriginalversion. b SubsequentlytobeissuedalsoinArabic,ChineseandRussianaspartoftheCommittee's H annualreporttotheGeneralAssembly.] . ~ Footnotes  0 */Allpersonshandlingthisdocumentarerequestedtorespectandobserveitsconfidential    nature.   */MadepublicbydecisionoftheHumanRightsCommittee. ^  1/Thecommunicationisdated14October1993.Asof20January1994,theauthorshad *z  failedtoprovideinformationabouttheresultoftheirtrials. ` D