What do iron oxide and electoral reform have in common? Both are found in abundance on Prince Edward Island. The fertile red soil of Prince Edward Island is home to just under 150,000 inhabitants, who are represented by a legislature of 27 members. Its size, however, has not prevented it from tackling, for the second…
Maxime Charron-Tousignant Robin MacKay Legal and Social Affairs Division The Supreme Court of Canada was created by Statute in 1875 and since that time its membership and nomination process have evolved considerably. The Court acts as a general court of appeal for Canada, deriving its authority from section 101 of the Constitution Act, 1867 and…
Caroline Quesnel Legal and Social Affairs Division On 30 January 2015, the Supreme Court of Canada recognized a constitutional protection of the right to strike, ruling that it is an indispensable part of collective bargaining. The Court’s decision in Saskatchewan Federation of Labour v. Saskatchewan is likely to have important implications for governments wishing to…
Martha Butler Legal and Social Affairs Division On 6 February 2015, the Supreme Court of Canada released its decision on a constitutional challenge of the prohibition in the Criminal Code against assisted suicide. The Court held unanimously in Carter v. Canada (Attorney General) that the prohibition violates the rights under section 7 of the Canadian…
Marie-Ève Hudon Legal and Social Affairs Division The accused and their court challenge Today the Supreme Court will hear the case between Her Majesty the Queen, et al. (respondents) and Gilles Caron, et al. (appellants), a francophone Albertan charged with an offence under Alberta’s Traffic Safety Act. Another Albertan facing similar charges, Pierre Boutet, joined…
Robin MacKay Legal and Social Affairs Division On 16 January 2015, the Supreme Court of Canada released its ruling on the right of members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) to engage in collective bargaining. This decision is the latest contribution to the debate about the nature of the RCMP, which has gone on…
Dara Lithwick and Dominique Valiquet, Legal and Social Affairs Division This HillNote is the first in a series of four. (Aussi disponsible en français: Accès légal et vie privée : le cadre législatif) Lawful access is an investigation technique used by national security and law enforcement agencies. It entails the interception of private communications and the seizure…