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Five women fought for recognition as "persons" under the law. The Judicial Committee Council ruled in 1929 that women were eligible for Senate appointments, advancing gender equality.
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Amendments removed bans on cultural ceremonies and allowed Indigenous people to organize politically, though many discriminatory elements remained.
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Canada’s first federal human rights law recognized freedoms like speech and religion. It laid the groundwork for the Charter.
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Status First Nations people gained the right to vote federally without losing their status, marking a major step toward political inclusion.
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Canada’s first provincial human rights code prohibited discrimination in housing, employment, and services.
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Introduced a points system to assess immigrants based on skills, ending overt racial discrimination in immigration policy.
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Issued 167 recommendations to improve gender equality, influencing future policies and laws.
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Made English and French equal in federal institutions, promoting bilingualism and protecting minority language rights.
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Prohibited discrimination by federally regulated employers and services, covering race, gender, disability, and more.
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Guaranteed fundamental freedoms and equality rights, transforming Canadian law and empowering courts to strike down unjust laws.
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Struck down the Lord’s Day Act for violating freedom of religion, setting a precedent for Charter interpretation.
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Established the “Oakes Test” to determine if limits on Charter rights are justified, shaping constitutional law.
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Supreme Court struck down abortion laws as unconstitutional, affirming women’s right to security of the person.
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Promotes workplace equality for women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, and visible minorities.
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Affirmed that Indigenous oral histories are valid evidence and clarified the legal meaning of Aboriginal title.
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Supreme Court ruled that excluding sexual orientation from Alberta’s human rights law violated the Charter.
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Upheld Mi’kmaq treaty rights to fish for a moderate livelihood, affirming Indigenous rights under historic treaties.
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Canada became the fourth country to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide, affirming equality rights under the Charter.
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Investigated the legacy of residential schools and issued 94 Calls to Action to advance reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.