Canada's Anti-Terrorism Act (Act), the functional equivalent of the USA Patriot Act, contains "extraordinary provisions, including preventative arrests, investigative hearings, and non-disclosure"; it was enacted in an effort to provide Canada's law enforcement with expanded authority to detect terrorist activities despite due process concerns.

The Act, however, has come under attack from the Canadian Council of Criminal Defence Lawyers. The Committee argues that given these extraordinary provisions "the need for oversight and accountability is greater than ever." Among the Committee's recommendations is the creation of a a permanent post for a "politically independent ombudsman."

Of the abuses committed under the Act, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police detained "21 South Asians in Toronto in 2003 as suspected terrorists.... Those suspicions proved unfounded."