Terrorism and Anti-Terrorism Legislation in Canada

Abstract

The events of September 11, 2001 drastically altered the political climate in North America. The atmosphere of fear, mainly instilled by the hegemonic influence of American mass media outlets and government, allowed the Canadian government to take advantage of citizen unease and pass controversial legislation, such as the Anti-Terrorism Act (2001) and the Combating Terrorism Act (2013). This critical analysis attempts to divulge into the root meaning of “terror†in order to unpack the motivations of terrorism, and understand how it really operates. Particular attention is placed on the role of the media and the Canadian and American governments in instilling a psychological phenomenon of terror into society. This article seeks to answer whether terrorism poses any real threat to North Americans, and whether the legislation passed by the Canadian government stands up to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and democracy itself.