The Broken Promise that is the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms by Tim McNamara I am a Canadian citizen, born in Canada in an era before common sense was replaced by political correctness, before lawyers made stupidity a defense and before my country became a police state. We were confident in the knowledge that our government had limited authority to interfere in … [Read more...]
Freedom of Speech? No Thanks, We’re Canadian…
[powerpress] On Wednesday, February 27, 2013 the Supreme Court of Canada had the opportunity to stand up for Canadians’ Right to Freedom of Speech. To call their ruling in R. v. Whatcott an “Epic Fail” would be a gross understatement. When the Supreme Court starts out by explaining as it did in Whatcott, not that individual rights are the very foundation of our … [Read more...]
Prince Rupert School District Despises Freedom of Speech; Orders Teachers to Remove T-Shirts Promoting Section 2(b) of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms
Imagine it... a school district, supposedly in charge of educating our children, deems the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to be “inappropriate”. No, I am not making this up. Prince Rupert School District No. 52 recently banned teachers from wearing a T-shirt with “2(b) or not 2(b)?” on the front, and the text of section 2 of the Charter on the back: 2(a) … [Read more...]
Freedom to Read What You Like? Not In Canada…
If you’re a Canadian, do you believe you have the right to read whatever you like? If you do, you’re not alone, even though you are sadly and grossly mistaken. Canada, believe it or not, has a long and sordid history of banning books and magazines that some unelected and unaccountable bureaucrat has decided you should not read. You see, the Freedom to read what I like is … [Read more...]
The Canadian Charter Isn’t Providing Protection
"It has occurred to me that I'm far more afraid of my own government than of any 'terrorist organisation'. Our wonderful representatives in Ottawa spout off about human rights violations in Iraq, etc., but seem perfectly content to subject Canadian citizens to unwarranted search and seizure, take away the protection against self-incrimination, and break their own rules … [Read more...]
Toronto Police just love strip-searching people for almost any reason at all
Toronto Police just love strip-searching people for almost any reason at all. So the Toronto Star report would have us believe, at least. According to their report, roughly 60% of all people arrested in 2010 were strip-searched by Toronto Police Services personnel. Previously-released figures on the numbers of strip searches show this number has been steadily climbing over … [Read more...]
Ottawa Police threaten to take her son away unless she consents to search. Justice Heidi Polowin rules that’s okay.
There are days that our [alleged] justice system makes me want to puke. Today is one of those days. In a ruling that baffles my brain, Ontario Superior Court Justice Heidi Polowin ruled that despite being “ganged up on” and threatened by police and a Children’s Aid Society worker that they would take away her one-year-old son, the resulting illegal search, called a … [Read more...]
Canada Day, Freedom of Speech, Comedian Guy Earle and the BC Supreme Court
It's Canada Day, and today I'd like to talk a little about our Charter Right to Freedom of Speech. It's a Right that is under increasing attack by a set of quasi-judicial boards that like to think of themselves as "great equalizers". More like "great stupid people". Really. What else can you call rewarding lesbian Lorna Pardy with $22,500 just because her "feelings were … [Read more...]