Long-term assessments of the trucker convoy will depend less on questionable interpretations of individual freedom and more on whether the state’s fundamental obligations were seriously threatened.
Can the government mandate vaccines? Canadians have rights to make decisions about vaccination, but these rights are not absolute, and do not mean those decisions will have no consequences.
Provincial regulations have major implications for the freedom of expression exercised by individuals and organizations in Ontario in the months leading up to the June election.
The decisions of medical health-care professionals like doctors and nurse practitioners are more legally significant than ever before since they are determining vaccination exemptions.
By paying greater attention to the originally intended application of the Canadian Constitution’s notwithstanding clause, along with the diversity of lawmakers in Canada, there’s a better path forward.
Ontario has historically been the province in Confederation most concerned about buoying Ottawa and limiting its own relative power for the sake of national unity. Doug Ford puts that legacy at risk.
The federal government’s ambitious new plan to modernize the 51-year-old Official Languages Act is the most significant proposal on the status of French in Canada since 1982.
Pierre Trudeau’s contribution to the remaking of Canada cannot be questioned. Throughout the 1980 to 1982 constitutional debates, he reminded Canadians of their country’s basic values.
As Canadian provinces begin to ease COVID-19 restrictions, is it an exercise of one’s constitutional rights to protest or disobey those that continue to exist?
Civil liberties violations look very different in pandemics. That’s why the Canadian Civil Liberties Association is looking into who has been detained and fined, and why, during the pandemic.
Anne Levesque, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa
Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms doesn’t mean much if it can’t be enforced. That’s why the Court Challenges Program is so important — no matter what the Québec premier says.
Jennifer Quaid, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa
A Québec company is asking for a Charter right usually reserved for people. There could be unintended consequences if it wins its challenge to the Supreme Court of Canada.
We must acknowledge that shifting historically vulnerable groups away from the margins means making room in spaces where these groups have not traditionally been welcomed.
Using Catholic doctrine to fire LGBTQ teachers and discriminate against queer students in Catholic schools violates the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Ordering Canada’s postal workers back on the job may hurt Justin Trudeau. CUPW could direct its anger directly at the Trudeau Liberals ahead of the 2019 federal election.
Professor, Research Chair in Language Rights, Faculty of Law | Professeur, Chaire de recherche Droits et enjeux linguistiques, Faculté de droit. 2021 Fellow, Fondation Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa