June has gained a reputation for yielding landmark court rulings on LGBTQ issues. This reputation is fitting: June is Pride Month. In June 2003, same-sex marriage made its debut in Canada by virtue of a …
Read MoreIt is troubling when the state coerces citizens to think as it does on controversial moral issues. This tactic is expected in undemocratic states. It is concerning to witness it in a liberal democracy like …
Read MoreCanadian courts today describe themselves as the guardians of the Constitution. They have the final word on what the Constitution allows and disallows, and the power to strike down state action that, in their judgment, …
Read MoreSection 91(24) of the Constitution Act, 1867 provides the Parliament of Canada with “exclusive Legislative Authority” in relation to the classes of subjects “Indians, and Lands reserved for the Indians.” There is little evidence to …
Read MoreDuring Andrew Scheer’s leadership of the Conservative Party, and especially during the last election campaign, concerns about his moral convictions on abortion and same-sex marriage – and his attempt to walk a political tightrope in …
Read MoreIn July, Winston Blackmore and James Oler were convicted of polygamy. These men are former leaders of a fundamentalist Mormon community in British Columbia. James Oler is married to five women. Winston Blackmore has at …
Read MoreToday it’s a given in Canada that institutional practice of religion in public schools is unacceptable. School prayer, for example, is a nonstarter. The journey to this destination began as a reaction to the practice …
Read MoreCanadians often refer to their Charter rights and freedoms, but not as much to their Charter values. In recent years, though, Charter values have gained traction in Canadian law. They now play a key role …
Read MoreIn April, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms turned 38 years old. The Charter, which forms part of our Constitution and thus part of Canada’s supreme law, is widely celebrated by Canadians. It is …
Read MoreThe recent decision by British Columbia’s highest court to protect the right of Trinity Western University to operate a law school was the last of the provincial judicial rulings in this legal dispute. A decision …
Read MoreThe year 2017 marks the 150th anniversary since Confederation and the 35th anniversary of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. By virtue of a court case in Ontario that might go all the way …
Read MoreThe SNC-Lavalin affair, which continues to reverberate, raises many issues in a democracy dominated by political parties — and all these issues take on greater relevance with a federal election approaching. One of them is …
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