"In recent weeks, injustice and racism has risen to the forefront of national and international conversations, exposing feelings of outrage, heartbreak, and denial. Many are hurting, confused, and fearful. Our world is broken and yearning for love and unity. Are we paying attention?" Read more in this guest blog from Sarah Gagnon and CLF member Ashley Maciuk.
This article about religious equality in Canada was originally published by The Lawyer’s Daily (www.thelawyersdaily.ca), part of LexisNexis Canada Inc.
Canada is widely recognized as an international leader in advancing human rights, but we are not without our own shortcomings. In recent months, United Nations Special Rapporteurs have expressed concerns about human rights issues within Canada. If we are to continue to speak with authenticity on the international stage, addressing these domestic issues ought to be at the forefront of our public dialogue.
Canada’s euthanasia law has several objectives, according to its preamble. In a recent decision, however, a Quebec judge accepted only one of them (protecting the vulnerable) as a legitimate legislative purpose. The court then struck down a core part of the law because it applied more broadly than necessary to achieve that single goal. Derek Ross explains why this narrow framing is concerning as a matter of legal principle, and how overlooking the law’s broader purposes “foreordained” the ultimate outcome.
