The country in brief
Accounts to follow
Submit your account
Department of Justice Canada
X · @JusticeCanadaEN · 40.8 k followers
Official account
Official account of Justice Canada Français: @JusticeCanadaFr Minister of Justice account: @MinJusticeEn Terms:
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GC Newsroom
X · @NewsroomGC · 95 k followers
Media
Official Government of Canada Newsroom. Account not monitored. Terms of Use: En français: @salledepresseGC
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University of Toronto
Instagram · @uoft
Research / university
Welcome to #UofT! Canada’s top university, and a catalyst for discovery, innovation, and progress. #UofTDefyGravity Tag us @uoft to be featured!
(new window)The country's law, area by area
Marriage, partnership and divorce
Marriage · Partnerships and cohabitation · Same-sex marriage · Religious ceremony · Wedding customs and ceremonies · Matrimonial property and inheritance · Divorce
Children, family and inheritance
Names · Adoption · Assisted reproduction · Childcare · Step-families
Contraception, abortion, sexuality and drugs
Contraception · Abortion · Parents: a teenager’s first relationship · Sexual orientation · Drugs and controlled substances · Alcohol and tobacco
Violence, consent and sexual offences
Consent and age of consent · Domestic violence · Female genital mutilation · Sexual offences committed abroad
Online: privacy, image, data and scams
Data protection · Privacy · Image rights · Speech and online harassment · Copyright · Identity theft · Online shopping · Romance scams
Health: pregnancy, STIs and care
Pregnancy · Periods and period products · Sex therapy · Mental health · Dental care · HIV and AIDS · Hepatitis B · HPV
Fundamental rights
Key points
| Charter | Binds government; courts may declare laws of no force or effect |
|---|---|
| Section 1 | Reasonable limits, assessed by the Oakes proportionality test |
| Section 33 | Notwithstanding clause, renewable every five years |
| Human rights codes | Federal and provincial; these do apply between private parties |
| Remedy | Section 24: any remedy the court considers appropriate and just |
| Commissions | Canadian Human Rights Commission and provincial equivalents |
| Oakes test | Structured proportionality analysis under section 1 |
| Section 24(2) | Evidence obtained in breach may be excluded |
| Court Challenges Program | Funds test cases of national significance |
Understanding the rules
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, part of the Constitution since 1982, binds federal and provincial governments and allows courts to invalidate legislation. Section 1 permits reasonable limits demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society. Section 33, the notwithstanding clause, allows a legislature to shield a law from several Charter rights for renewable five-year periods. Human rights codes, by contrast, do bind private parties.
In practice
- Apply to the Court Challenges Program where the case raises a question of national significance.
Where to go
- Canadian Human Rights Commission or the provincial commission.
- Provincial legal aid.
- Court Challenges Program for cases of national significance.
Worth knowing
For discrimination by an employer, landlord or service provider, the human rights commission is the right forum — the Charter would not apply to a private party at all. For a dispute with an employer, landlord or service provider, the human rights commission is the correct forum. The Charter does not apply to private parties.
The general article: Fundamental rights · Compare with another country
Advice
Sources
- Principaux indicateurs sur le Québec et ses régions — statistique.quebec.ca, 2025 (in French)
- Loi sur le mariage civil (L.C. 2005, ch. 33) — laws-lois.justice.gc.ca, 2005 (in French)
- Modifications à la Loi sur le divorce expliquées — justice.gc.ca, 2021 (in French)
- Partie II – Le contexte juridique pertinent — justice.gc.ca, accessed 2026 (in French)
- Les biens du patrimoine familial — educaloi.qc.ca, accessed 2026 (in French)
- L'union parentale : foire aux questions — cdn-contenu.quebec.ca, 2025 (in French)
- Lois constitutionnelles de 1867 à 1982 – Charte canadienne des droits et libertés — laws-lois.justice.gc.ca, 1982 (in French)
- Charte des droits et libertés de la personne — cdpdj.qc.ca, accessed 2026 (in French)
Official or institutional documents this page relies on, consulted on 12 October 2026. Links open in a new tab.
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Text prepared with artificial intelligence, reviewed and checked by the AffectionPlus team (method and sources: About). This content does not replace medical or legal advice. Spotted an error? Write to us.