Reading Time: < 1 minuteDisponible en français. In Canada’s criminal justice system, people are sometimes found guilty of crimes that they did not commit. These errors are known as wrongful convictions. The number of wrongful convictions in Canada is unknown. This is in part because it is… Read More ›
Discrimination
The International Framework for Gender Equality
Reading Time: 6 minutesDisponible en français. The year 2025 marks several significant anniversaries for international gender equality mechanisms. These include the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (the Beijing Declaration), the 25th anniversary of United Nations (UN) Security Council… Read More ›
Executive Summary – Section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms: The Development of the Supreme Court of Canada’s Approach to Equality Rights Under the Charter
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 ›
Executive Summary – The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: An Overview
Reading Time: < 1 minuteDisponible en français. The United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (the CRPD) is an international treaty that was adopted in 2006 to help protect the rights of people with disabilities around the world. Canada and 183 other states parties have… Read More ›
Executive Summary – An Examination of the Duty to Accommodate in the Canadian Human Rights Context
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 ›
Executive Summary – Services for Indigenous People Living in Urban Areas
Reading Time: < 1 minute(Disponible en français : Résumé – Services destinés aux autochtones vivant en milieu urbain) Over the past 70 years, growing numbers of Indigenous people in Canada have moved to urban centres. Today, more than half of the Indigenous population live… Read More ›
Canada’s Federal Anti-Racism Strategy: An Overview
Reading Time: 5 minutes(Disponible en français : Aperçu de la stratégie fédérale canadienne de lutte contre le racisme) In many countries around the globe, including Canada, recent movements to recognize and address racial injustices and discrimination have led to increased examination of government… Read More ›