Getting arrested in BC? Here’s a guide to your rights

A handy guide for knowing your rights when dealing with police in BC — originally produced by Premier David Eby — has been updated and available for distribution.

The British Columbia Civil Liberties Association has just released its newest edition of the Arrest Handbook for anyone interested in learning about their rights.

The association exists to ensure the rights of British Columbians and Canadians through education, policy reform, litigation, and advocacy.

“The BCCLA works to promote, defend, sustain, and extend civil liberties and human rights in British Columbia and Canada,” according to it website. “Relentless in our pursuit of justice, we have grown from a small group of academics and activists to a non-partisan and non-profit organization of people who continue to fight for civil liberties and human rights.”

The most notable piece of education they offer is the Arrest Handbook, first published in 2004 and written by the province’s current premier, David Eby. The handbook offers “easy-to-understand information on your rights when interacting with police on topics like arrest, detention, search and seizure, and youth and the law.”

The 2023 edition was created to accommodate the new changes observed in the province’s legal scene such as the “B.C. Partial Exemption Pilot Project” which now allows people to carry up to 2.5 grams of specific drugs.

The 108-page handbook is divided into 10 chapters allowing people to learn about their rights from police interactions, the arrest process, heavily policed communities, youth and the law, to mental health law. For those interested in a quicker read, the association also offers the Arrest Pocketbook which is a 24-page condensed version.

One of the handbook’s key takeaways is that one always has the right to remain silent and ask for their lawyer and should exercise that right to avoid the risk of incriminating oneself.

Both the handbook and the pocketbook are available in English, French, Punjabi, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese. They are available to download on the association's website and printed versions can be made to order by donation.

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