To be Tried Within a Reasonable Time: Affirming the Jordan Ceilings
Category: Legal Rights (Sections 7-14)
In October 2014, police charged a B.C. man with sexual assault against his daughter.[1] Two years later a B.C. judge issued a stay of proceedings, dismissing the case against the […]
Alberta and its Physicians Clash Over a Right to Something Besides Striking
Category: The Charter, Fundamental Freedoms (Section 2)
On 9 April 2020, the Alberta Medical Association (AMA) filed a lawsuit against the Government of Alberta alleging the Government violated the rights of the AMA and its members by […]
Emergency Powers and the Emergencies Act
Category: Federalism, Pandemic
* This article is an edited excerpt of “Climate Emergency vs Emergency Powers” by Michael Graham originally published on June 27, 2019. Emergency Branch: Peace, Order, and Good Government (“POGG”) The Constitution […]
Travel Restrictions in a Pandemic: What are your Charter Rights?
Category: Mobility Rights (Section 6), Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has modern Canada facing unprecedented challenges. The severity of the crisis has led governments to restrict personal liberties in ways that were unthinkable only a few weeks […]
A Law to Stop Politicians From Lying
Category: The Charter, Fundamental Freedoms (Section 2)
With an upcoming federal election, Canadians are preparing to decide who deserves their vote. A 2019 poll conducted for The Globe and Mail found that the biggest issue for voters is ethics in government.[1] This concern is not uniquely Canadian either.
The Feds and a Conversion Therapy Ban: Mixed Messages and Constitutional Challenges
Category: The Charter, Fundamental Freedoms (Section 2), Legal Rights (Sections 7-14), Federalism
In 2019, the federal government has been inconsistent about a potential ban on conversion therapy even though the practice is harmful and professionally disregarded. This article will pose and attempt to answer a series of questions: What is the ‘therapy’
Jewish Holidays, Federal Elections, and Court Decisions! Oh My!
Category: The Charter, Fundamental Freedoms (Section 2), Democratic Rights (Sections 3-5)
Chani Aryeh-Bain, Conservative Party candidate in the upcoming federal election in the Toronto riding of Eglinton-Lawrence, and Ira Walfish, political activist, both adhere to an Orthodox Jewish faith and strictly follow religious holidays.[1] The date of the upcoming federal election,
The Military Exception: SCC affirms no right to a trial by jury for military members
Category: The Charter, Legal Rights (Sections 7-14)
Introduction The Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) ruled that members of the Canadian military charged with ordinary civilian crimes do not have the Charter right to a trial by jury if their charge is covered by section 130(1)(a) of the
A penny for your thoughts, if we like them: Freedom of Expression on Campus Part 1
Category: The Charter, Fundamental Freedoms (Section 2)
The Progressive Conservative Government of Ontario has altered their provincial funding scheme for post-secondary institutions: 60% of funding is now tied to measurements that include the employment and pay rates of graduates.[1] It appears the United Conservative Government of Alberta (“UCP”)
We like our speech deep dish: Freedom of Expression on Post-Secondary Campuses Part 2
Category: The Charter, Fundamental Freedoms (Section 2)
Last summer the Progressive Conservative government of Ontario ordered all provincially funded post-secondary institutions to implement free speech policies similar to the Chicago Principles.[1] Failure to do so could have ended in the withholding of funding.[2] The United Conservative government of Alberta
Comparing Federal Government and Indigenous Perspectives on Self-Government Agreements
Category: Aboriginal Rights
Introduction: Agreements for Self-Government Indigenous peoples have lived in what is now Canada for thousands of years, governing themselves and developing unique legal orders. The Canadian state, with its colonial roots, has been slow to recognize this reality. However, there
Solitary, Segregation or a Structured Intervention Unit – An Unconstitutional Way to Do Time?
Category: The Charter
Introduction The Government of Canada has stated they are ending the practice of segregating inmates and leaving them in cells alone for extended periods of time. While Canada does not use the term solitary confinement, the term is used internationally
A National Pharmacare Plan Requires Cooperative Federalism
Category: Federalism
Introduction: Proposed Pharmacare Canada is the only OECD country with universal health coverage that does not include prescription drugs.[1] Canadian provinces have different regulations for prescription coverage – offering a mix of programs that subsidize drug costs, often depending on factors
Wrangling with the Law: Can Federalism Save Rodeo Animals?
Category: Federalism
Introduction The Calgary Stampede is an annual rodeo and festival held every July in Calgary, Alberta. The event hosts one of the world’s largest rodeos in which people from all over the world come to compete. However, each year a
The ‘Carbon Tax’. Wait, can the feds do that?
Category: Federalism
The highest provincial courts of Saskatchewan and Ontario both found the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act (“the Act”), better known as the ‘carbon tax’, constitutional. But not everyone agrees.[1] Debating the constitutionality of the ‘carbon tax’ appears to be the new national pastime.