MINISTER OF JUSTICE MARKS THE 20th ANNIVERSARY OF SECTION 15; CALLS IT “A TRANSFORMATIVE ACT THAT HAS IMPACTED NOT ONLY ON OUR LAWS BUT ON OUR LIVES”

OTTAWA , April 17, 2005 – The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Irwin Cotler today issued the following statement on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

On April 17, 1982 the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms became the centrepiece of our Constitution and the cornerstone of our democracy – a transformative act that impacted not only on our laws but on our daily lives – and where individuals and groups now enjoy a constitutionally protected panoply of rights and freedoms.

Three years later, in April 1985, the Charter rights and freedoms cherished by Canadians – such as the fundamental freedoms of thought, belief, opinion and expression, the right to life, liberty and security of the person, the right to vote - were joined by the equality rights protection.

This was not always the case, for Canadian history includes a disturbing narrative of discrimination against the most vulnerable amongst us – aboriginal persons, women, racial and religious minorities, the disabled, gays and lesbian and the like; and an absence of constitutionally protected rights and remedies to redress this discrimination.

Section 15 seeks to remedy this. It enshrines our shared commitment that all Canadians are equal before and under the law; that every individual has the right to equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination; and it constitutionalizes “affirmative action” programs and policies on behalf of the disadvantaged.

Section 15 of the Charter has become a fundamental expression of Canada`s commitment to a society in which the inherent dignity and worth of every individual – and the equal dignity and worth of all persons - are recognized and affirmed; where protecting and promoting equality are fundamental to the pursuit of justice; where discrimination against any individual or group diminishes us all; where equality is an organizing principle for the establishment of a just society in which every person is deserving of equal respect, recognition and consideration.

I invite all Canadians to mark this important anniversary and to learn more about the significance of Section 15. It has shaped, and will continue to shape, our very identity as a country. It embodies the values that lie at the heart of what it means to be Canadian. It is a moment worth celebrating.

- 30 -

Ref.:

Media Relations
Department of Justice Canada
(613) 957-4207