Human rights organization Amnesty International has condemned Premier Doug Ford’s move to invoke the “notwithstanding” clause in his quest to slash Toronto city council.

“No government in Canada should take the contemptuous step of disregard for the Charter of Rights that the notwithstanding clause offers them,” said Alex Neve, Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada, in a statement released Wednesday.

“To do so in a case involving the fundamental freedom of expression in a context in which core principles around elections and the underpinnings of our democracy are at stake is particularly disgraceful,” Neve said. “This invocation of section 33 by Premier Ford’s government should be withdrawn immediately. Questions about the interpretation and application of the Charter should be pursued through appeals and left to judges to determine.”

Neve said the group, which usually speaks out against grave violations of human rights by rogue governments in various parts of the world, had never had to condemn any level of government in Canada.

“It is disappointing to us that we have to make this statement in Canada,” he said, adding Amnesty International has on occasion criticized western governments who enact national security laws and counter-terrorism measures that intentionally infringe on people’s rights.

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“We certainly don’t have a situation here where national security is at stake,” said Neve. “There’s no state of emergency at play in Ontario which threatens public security, with regards to how many councillors will be on Toronto city council.”

Amnesty released its statement shortly after Ford’s reintroduced bill passed first reading amid a tumultuous day of protest at Queen’s Park in which protesters — including a woman in her 70s — were handcuffed and led from the legislature and several New Democratic representatives were kicked out for banging on their desks.

After the NDP protest, the bill, named the Efficient Local Government Act, passed first reading 63-17. Only the remaining New Democrats, the Liberals, and the lone Green MPP voted against it.

Premier Ford hastily recalled the Legislature to invoke the notwithstanding clause after Justice Edward Belobaba ruled on Monday that an earlier version of the bill violated the freedom of expression for voters and candidates.

“There is no need and should be no place for such a crude provision as the notwithstanding clause,” Amnesty said in its statement, referring to the provision as a “a blatant human rights escape clause.”

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“Amnesty International calls on all governments in Canada to refrain from invoking it.”

The notwithstanding clause is a rarely used provision of the charter that allows federal and provincial government to pass laws that violate certain rights and freedoms.

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