The other day I snickered at the fact that the State of Vermont banned slavery just this week by closing a loophole in their constitution. What kind of self-respecting place would leave something like that up to interpretation, after all?
Anyway, here are some of the rights that can be ignored through the use of section 33 of Canada’s Charter of rights and freedoms, often referred to as the “notwithstanding clause”:
Freedom of thought, belief, opinion an expression; Freedom of the press; freedom of peaceful assembly; the right to be secure against unreasonable search and seizure; the right not to be arbitrarily detained or imprisoned; the presumption of innocence until guilt is proven; the right not to be subjected to any cruel and unusual treatment and punishment.
That is not a complete list.
I’m sure none of that is anything to worry about though.
Right?
My Take: By Gordon Lambie
