Terrorism and anti-terrorism laws - Essay Example

The most prominent combination of the War Measures Act, Canadian security certificate program, and Canada’s own Anti-Terrorism Act provides a stable and strong anti-terrorist legal framework in the country. However, the Canadian Anti-Terrorism Act functions as the most powerful element of this framework. The Canadian Anti-Terrorism Act extends the legal sphere of the war measures mechanism. Canada has fought wars with the United States and also it had conflicts with the Native Indian populations on certain occasions.

During the World War II, Canada participated in several military operations in Europe and Asia-Pacific region. During Cold War, tensions regarding the country’s internal security concerns often surfaced. Hence, formulating the Anti-Terrorism Act in response to the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks was challenging but not impossible. Technically, this Act extends the powers of the institutions and the Government athwart the country’s security establishment so that they can address, combat, and diminish the threat of terror.

The Act has some most important law enforcement process at focus. These are pre-emptive detention, extended surveillance, investigative hearing, preventive arrest, and stringent sentencing. Thus, it is highly similar to the USA PATRIOT Act, which was passed after the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks. (Canadian Legal Information Institute, 2012) It has been already mentioned that although Canada’s past has been relatively peaceful, the country’s involvement in several important greater international conflicts cannot be ignored.

Like World War II and Cold War, Canada got involved in the War on Terror too. And like the previous conflicts, this conflict too called for certain specific and special arrangements. Terrorism has its peculiar dynamics. Since it is not direct warfare and even terrorist states enjoy diplomatic immunity in the modern society, it may prove to be more dangerous in the sense of psychological effect. And in the