Summary
This thesis examines the extent to which body-worn cameras programs in Canada and the
U.S. befit the notion of counter-law. The research is theoretically based on Ericson’s (2007a)
framework of counter-law and the surveillant assemblage. The results indicate that body-worn
camera programs can be considered an extension of the existing surveillant assemblage. In the
U.S., numerous legislative amendments exempted body-worn cameras from certain legal
requirements and thus facilitated their integration into existing surveillance networks. In Canada,
legal amendments were not enacted through counter-law; nevertheless, the broadness and
inconsistency of existing legislation allowed body-worn camera programs to become part of the
surveillant assemblage. This thesis also contributes to refinements of counter-law I and the
surveillant assemblage by analyzing variations in how these concepts apply to localized contexts
of uncertainty.