8.1.5. Rights

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is a bill of rights entrenched in the Constitution of Canada, which forms the first part of the Constitution Act, 1982. The Charter guarantees certain political rights to Canadian citizens and civil rights of everyone in Canada. The Charter applies to government laws and actions (including the laws and actions of federal, provincial, and municipal governments and public school boards), and sometimes to the common law, but not to private activity.

The courts, when confronted with violations of Charter rights, have struck down as unconstitutional, federal and provincial statutes and regulations in whole or in part.