UN raises concerns about anti-terror bill

OTTAWA — The United Nations Human Rights Committee raised concerns Thursday about Canada’s new anti-terror legislation, saying it could run afoul of the International Covenant on Civil and Political rights. The committee said sweeping powers in the law, known as C51, may not contain enough legal safeguards to protect people’s rights. In particular, it is raising doubts about elements of the legislation that expand the mandate of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, the new information sharing regime between security agencies and the changes to the no-fly program. “The Committee takes note of the State party’s need to adopt measures to combat acts of terrorism, including the formulation of appropriate legislation to prevent such act,” it writes in its report, released Thursday in Geneva following the regularly-scheduled review of Canada’s compliance with the covenant.