Reading Time: < 1 minuteDisponible en français. Officers of Parliament support both houses in their accountability and scrutiny functions by carrying out independent oversight responsibilities assigned to them by statute. These officers are responsible directly to Parliament rather than to the government or a… Read More ›
Reading Time: < 1 minuteDisponible en français. Canada’s founding document, the Constitution Act, 1867, established the country as a parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy. Executive authority resides with the Sovereign or that person’s representative (i.e., the Governor General of Canada). The Constitution assigns the Governor General a wide range… Read More ›
Reading Time: < 1 minuteDisponible en français. Money is created in the Canadian economy in two main ways: through private commercial bank loans or asset purchases, and through the Bank of Canada’s asset purchases. The majority of money in the economy is created by… Read More ›
Reading Time: 2 minutesDisponible en français. Organ transplantation surgery has saved countless lives since its advent in the 1950s. As the techniques and technologies used in transplantation medicine improve, positive outcomes for donors and recipients are increasing. Demand for this treatment, however, far… Read More ›
Reading Time: < 1 minuteDisponible en français. In 2013–2014 and again since June 2020, some Canadian political figures have used the terms “national languages” and “official languages” interchangeably to refer to English and French when discussing the federal language regime. However, these two terms are not equivalent. “Official” status requires the government to… Read More ›
Reading Time: 2 minutesDisponible en français. In Canada, the treaty-making process is controlled by the executive branch of the federal government, while the Parliament of Canada (“Parliament”) is often responsible for passing legislation to implement international treaties at the federal level. The treaty-making… Read More ›
Reading Time: 2 minutesDisponible en français. This Background Paper provides an overview of the duty to accommodate – a fundamental principle of equality included in all Canadian human rights laws – and describes how that principle has been interpreted and applied in Canadian jurisprudence. The duty… Read More ›
Reading Time: < 1 minuteDisponible en français. Refugees are people who flee their country because it is unsafe. Most refugees seek protection in a country neighbouring their own. Others make their way to countries like Canada and seek protection once they have arrived. This paper describes the steps to obtain protection when a person is already in Canada. International law and Canadian… Read More ›
Reading Time: < 1 minuteDisponible en français In Canada, the systems of early childhood education and care services are different from one province or territory to another; they differ significantly in their affordability, accessibility and rate of participation. These factors affect the labour force… Read More ›
Reading Time: < 1 minuteDisponible en français. Under section 91(24) of the Constitution Act, 1867, the federal government has exclusive legislative authority for “Indians, and Lands reserved for the Indians.” This responsibility, however, often overlaps with that of the provinces, whose authority extends to areas such as child welfare, education and policing. While “Indians” means all Indigenous peoples for the purpose of section 91(24),… Read More ›