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What do Constitutional Equality Rights Project Canadians Against?*
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 November 2009
Abstract
It is frequently argued that section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms should be interpreted to protect Canadians not only against intentional discrimination based on the prohibited grounds, but also against “systemic discrimination.” Since systemic discrimination against one group can always be described as intentional discrimination against another, this approach seems redundant in the context of an open-ended list of prohibited grounds. It may be explained as a way of promoting discrimination against unlisted groups upward on the scale of scrutiny, thus expanding the range of policy-making in inherently contestable areas that is subject to judicial determination or oversight. This article explores the political and institutional ramifications of this interpretation.
Résumé
On considère souvent que l'égalité des droits, enchâssée à l'article 15 de la Charte canadienne des droits et libertés, devrait être interprétée non seulement dans le sens d'une protection contre toute discrimination directe, intentionnelle, définie à partir des motifs prohibés, mais aussi en direction d'une protection contre la prétendue « discrimination systémique ». Puisque la discrimination systémique contre un groupe peut toujours être envisagée comme une discrimination intentionnelle contre un autre groupe, cela paraît répétitif dans le contexte d'une liste ouverte de motifs prohibés. On peut expliquer cela comme une façon de contrecarrer le tendance prédominante à soumettre les motifs non-mentionnés de discrimination à une surveillance plus relâchee—en réalité à faire grimper cette sorte de discrimination dans l'échelle de la surveillance lorsqu'elle recoupe les motifs énumérés. Une telle promotion accroîtrait considérablement l'étendue du processus décisionnel public dans des secteurs essentiellement contestés, relevant de la supervision ou de la détermination judiciaire. Cet article explore les conséquences politiques et institutionnelles de cette interprétation.
- Type
- Research Article
- Information
- Canadian Journal of Political Science/Revue canadienne de science politique , Volume 20 , Issue 2 , June 1987 , pp. 265 - 286
- Copyright
- Copyright © Canadian Political Science Association (l'Association canadienne de science politique) and/et la Société québécoise de science politique 1987
References
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10 In its response to this report, the government is not clear as to whether it considers the overcoming of systemic discrimination to be required by section 15, or whether it is one of the things that governments should do to promote equality and social justice over and above what is constitutionally required of them. In any case, it is clear that the government thinks systemic discrimination ought to be overcome. See, Toward Equality: The Response to the Report of the Parliamentary Committee on Equality Rights (Ottawa: Department of Justice, 1986), 3–4Google Scholar.
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