Reading Time: 7 minutesDisponible en français. Mandatory minimum sentences are set by Parliament to limit judicial discretion when it comes to imposing punishment. There were six offences with mandatory minimum sentences when the first Criminal Code (the Code) was enacted in 1892, for… Read More ›
Reading Time: 2 minutesDisponible en français. Section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms sets out the right to equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination. The Supreme Court of Canada (the Court) has consistently interpreted this right as protecting substantive equality. This means that laws – as well as government activities and policies – must not simply treat people the same. Instead, the effect… Read More ›