Friday, April 17, 2015

Happy birthday, Charter of Rights

Happy 33rd anniversary of the signing of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms - one of the most significant constitutional documents in our history and a continuing bulwark against relentless and unprecedented attempts to infringe the rights of Canadians by the present Harper government. This week the Conservatives' mandatory minimum sentences law was struck down and another ruling was made against  institutional prayer at municipal council meetings.

I've written elsewhere about how little regard the Conservatives have for the rule of law and the role of the courts in upholding the requirement that laws passed by Parliament conform to the supreme law of Canada - the Constitution and the Charter.

So happy birthday, Charter. You deserve better, and so do we.