The Charter of Rights and Freedoms — what rights do you have?

Summary

This video discusses the Canadian Constitution and Charter of Rights, explaining their historical context and significance. It delves into the Constitution's role in defining rights and government, and how the Charter acts as a 'living document'. The video also addresses the unique 'notwithstanding clause', allowing provinces to override certain rights, and ponders the balance between individual freedoms and societal needs, especially relevant during crises like the coronavirus pandemic.

Takeaways

• 📜 The video discusses the Canadian Constitution and where rights in Canada come from, contrasting philosophical theories with practical applications.
• 🏛️ A constitution is defined as a set of principles or laws that form the foundation of a nation's governance, including how the state is governed and the rights and requirements of its citizens.
• 🇬🇧 The United Kingdom does not have a single document constitution like the United States, but rather a collection of laws and legal precedents.
• 📜 The British North America Act of 1867 is considered Canada's founding document, establishing the country as a confederation of four provinces.
• 📚 Prior to 1982, Canada's rights were scattered across various documents like the Canadian Bill of Rights and the Canadian Human Rights Act, complicating their application and interpretation.
• 🌐 The Constitution Act of 1982, which includes the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, unified Canada's constitutional laws into a single document, clarifying rights and legal processes.
• 🤔 The video raises questions about the balance between individual rights and government actions, especially in times of crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic.
• 🏢 The 'notwithstanding clause' (Section 33) allows federal or provincial parliaments to override certain sections of the Charter, sparking debates about the permanence and hierarchy of rights.
• 🗣️ The Charter includes fundamental freedoms, democratic rights, mobility rights, and legal rights, emphasizing the importance of these rights in Canadian society.
• 👥 The video suggests that understanding the Constitution and the Charter is crucial for discussing rights, as it provides a common framework for these discussions.
• 🔮 The video concludes by hinting at future discussions on the concept of the Constitution as a 'living document,' which may evolve in interpretation over time.

Q & A

What is the primary function of a constitution?

A constitution serves as a set of principles or laws that are the foundational laws of a nation or state, outlining how the state will be governed, including the rights and requirements of its citizens.

How does the Canadian Constitution differ from the American Constitution?

The Canadian Constitution is not a single document but a combination of documents and British common law, whereas the American Constitution is a single written document.

What is the significance of the British North America Act of 1867?

The British North America Act of 1867, also known as the Constitution Act 1867, is the founding document of Canada, establishing it as a confederation of four provinces.

What is the role of the Statute of Westminster in Canada's constitutional history?

The Statute of Westminster in 1931 granted the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, including Canada, legislative equality with the UK, effectively allowing them to govern themselves.

Why was the repatriation of the Canadian Constitution necessary?

The repatriation was necessary because prior to 1982, Canada's constitution was still under the legislative jurisdiction of the British Parliament, and Canada wanted to have full control over its own constitutional laws.

What is the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms?

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is a part of the Constitution Act 1982, which outlines the basic rights and freedoms of individuals in Canada.

How does the Constitution Act 1982 affect the interpretation of rights in Canada?

The Constitution Act 1982, by including the Charter, provides a unified legal framework for interpreting rights in Canada, making it easier for courts to apply and balance rights between individuals and the state.

What is the 'notwithstanding clause' or Section 33 of the Canadian Charter?

Section 33, also known as the 'notwithstanding clause', allows federal or provincial legislatures to override certain sections of the Charter, effectively exempting laws from certain Charter rights.

Has the 'notwithstanding clause' ever been used in Canada?

Yes, the 'notwithstanding clause' has been used at the provincial level, notably in Quebec for language laws, but it has never been invoked at the federal level.

What does the term 'living document' mean in the context of a constitution?

A 'living document' refers to the idea that a constitution can be interpreted and applied in response to changing societal values and circumstances, even though the original text remains the same.

How does the Canadian Constitution address the balance between individual rights and the needs of society?

The Canadian Constitution, through the Charter, outlines individual rights but also allows for reasonable limits on those rights as prescribed by law and justified in a free and democratic society.

Outlines

00:00

📜 Introduction to Constitutional Rights

The speaker begins by addressing the feedback from the last video, where they discussed the theoretical concept of rights. The audience asked for a more practical discussion about the Canadian constitution and the source of rights. The video aims to bridge the gap between theory and practice. The speaker defines a constitution as a foundational set of principles or laws that govern a nation. They differentiate between the American Constitution and the Canadian approach, which includes the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The British North America Act of 1867 is highlighted as the foundational document of Canada, establishing it as a confederation of provinces. The speaker also discusses the evolution of Canada's constitutional framework, including the influence of British common law, until the Constitution Act of 1982, which repatriated the constitution and included the Charter.

05:02

🇨🇦 The Constitution Act 1982 and the Charter

The speaker delves into the Constitution Act of 1982, which is Canada's current constitution, and the inclusion of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. They explain how this act became the supreme law of Canada, unifying various rights documents under one. The Charter outlines fundamental freedoms, democratic rights, mobility rights, and legal rights. The speaker also discusses the implications of the coronavirus crisis on these rights, such as the balance between government decisions and individual freedoms. Historical context is provided with a video clip of Queen Elizabeth signing the Charter in 1982, symbolizing Canada's constitutional independence from Britain.

10:05

🚫 Limits of Rights and the Notwithstanding Clause

The speaker explains the concept of limits on rights, using the example of criminal activity, where certain rights can be justifiably restricted to maintain law and order. They introduce the 'notwithstanding clause' or Section 33 of the Charter, which allows federal or provincial parliaments to override certain rights. This clause has been controversial due to its potential to undermine fundamental freedoms. The speaker notes that while it has never been used at the federal level, provinces like Quebec have invoked it for language laws, suggesting a reordering of rights rather than a complete dismissal.

15:07

🌐 The Charter as a Living Document

The speaker discusses the notion of the Charter as a living, breathing document, suggesting that its interpretation can evolve over time. They emphasize the importance of societal understanding and upholding of rights, as these are ultimately enforced by the government. The speaker also sets up for a future discussion on how to interpret constitutional documents, especially in light of changing societal norms and the potential for reinterpretation of rights.

20:08

📢 Closing Remarks and Call to Action

In the concluding part, the speaker summarizes the video's content and encourages viewers to engage with the topic of constitutional rights. They mention the relevance of discussions on rights in the context of current events, such as the pandemic and debates on gun rights. The speaker invites viewers to subscribe and stay updated with their channel for further exploration of these topics. The video ends with a reminder for viewers to stay safe and take care during challenging times.

Keywords

💡Constitution

A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents that dictate how a nation or state is governed. In the video, the speaker explains the role of the constitution in defining laws, governance structures, and rights in Canada. Canada's constitution includes various documents, with the British North America Act of 1867 and the Constitution Act of 1982 being critical parts of its legal foundation.

💡Charter of Rights and Freedoms

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is a key part of Canada's Constitution, introduced in the Constitution Act of 1982. It guarantees fundamental rights and freedoms to all Canadians, such as freedom of expression, religion, and mobility. The speaker connects the Charter to present-day issues, including debates around government power during crises like the coronavirus pandemic.

💡Repatriation

Repatriation refers to the process of bringing something back to its homeland. In the video, it refers to the process of Canada gaining full control over its constitution from Britain in 1982, when the Constitution Act was passed. The speaker discusses how prior to this, Canada's legal system was tied to British governance and courts.

💡British North America Act (BNA Act)

The British North America Act of 1867, later renamed the Constitution Act of 1867, was Canada's original constitutional document, which established the country as a confederation. The speaker mentions it as the founding legal framework for Canada before full constitutional independence was achieved in 1982.

💡Statute of Westminster

The Statute of Westminster of 1931 was an important law passed by the British Parliament granting self-governance to certain Commonwealth countries, including Canada. The video explains how this statute was a step towards Canadian autonomy before the Constitution Act of 1982 finalized this process.

💡Supreme Court of Canada

The Supreme Court of Canada is the highest judicial body in the country, responsible for interpreting constitutional law. However, before 1982, the speaker explains that decisions could still be appealed to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in the UK, reflecting Canada’s legal dependence on Britain.

💡Notwithstanding Clause

The notwithstanding clause, or Section 33 of the Canadian Charter, allows federal or provincial governments to pass laws that override certain rights guaranteed by the Charter, such as freedom of religion or expression. The speaker highlights its controversial nature and mentions Quebec’s use of it in language laws.

💡Judicial Committee of the Privy Council

The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC) was the highest court of appeal for Canada before the repatriation of the constitution. The speaker mentions that even after decisions by the Supreme Court of Canada, cases could still be appealed to the JCPC in the UK until Canada fully gained constitutional independence.

💡Democratic Rights

Democratic rights, as outlined in the Charter, include the right to vote and the requirement for governments to hold regular elections. In the video, the speaker discusses how these rights were tested during the coronavirus pandemic, when the traditional functioning of Parliament was disrupted.

💡Common Law

Common law refers to law developed by courts through precedents rather than written statutes. The speaker contrasts Canada's mix of written and unwritten constitutional elements with the UK’s common law system, where centuries of legal precedents guide the governance of rights and freedoms without a single written constitution.

Highlights

The video addresses the concept of rights in Canada, moving from a theoretical discussion to a more practical one, focusing on the Canadian Constitution.

A constitution is defined as a set of fundamental principles or laws that govern a nation, including how the state operates and individual rights.

Canada’s constitution evolved from a series of documents rather than a single one, starting with the British North America Act of 1867, which established Canada as a confederation.

The Constitution of Canada differs from the United States in that Canada followed British common law traditions, making its legal framework more complex.

The Statute of Westminster in 1931 granted Canada more autonomy from the UK, but the country’s highest court was still the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in the UK until later reforms.

Canada repatriated its Constitution in 1982 under Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau, leading to the creation of the Constitution Act of 1982, which included the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The Charter is now the highest law of Canada, codifying individual rights and freedoms while balancing them with the role of the state.

The speaker emphasizes the Charter’s relevance during crises like the coronavirus pandemic, where government actions and individual rights are often in tension.

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees fundamental rights like freedom of conscience, religion, thought, belief, and expression, subject to reasonable limits in a free and democratic society.

The speaker introduces the 'notwithstanding clause' (Section 33), which allows Parliament or provincial legislatures to override certain Charter rights in specific cases, a unique aspect of Canadian law.

Section 33 has never been used at the federal level but has been invoked in provincial laws, such as Quebec’s language laws, highlighting the complexities of balancing rights.

The speaker explains the importance of understanding rights in the same way within society, using the Charter as a guide to how rights are applied and respected in Canada.

The video touches on the evolving nature of constitutional interpretation, with the Charter being described as a 'living, breathing document' that can adapt to modern circumstances.

A comparison is made to other countries, especially the United States, where constitutional interpretation is a significant point of debate.

The video concludes by inviting viewers to explore more topics related to Canadian rights, including gun rights, and encourages active engagement with the ongoing legal discussions in Canada.

Transcripts

so in my last video I spoke about the

concept of rights I wanted to keep it

more theoretical and have that

discussion really be about the idea of

what is right where do these ideas come

from now in the feedback some of you

asked me to talk about the actual

constitution of Canada and where our

rights here come from as opposed to more

of the philosophical or theoretical idea

which I still want to explore a bit more

but in this video I think will tackle

some of the more practical things so

let's start right at the beginning we're

going to jump right in so first of all

we have to address what is a

constitution where our rights come from

you guys have heard words of like the

Charter I spoke last time about the

Charter being repatriated so what does

that kind of thing mean and we'll

explore all these ideas but first the

definitions so the definition of a

constitution a lot of people tend to

think I think about the American

Constitution they might understand the

Charter or know what the Charter is but

not necessarily understand it as sort of

a constitution it's really a part of the

canvass constitutional laws but the

Constitution itself is an important idea

that we need to understand and so a

constitution in its most basic sense is

a set of principles or laws these are

sort of the underlying foundational laws

that a nation or state would have and

this basically talks about how the state

is going to be governed it can have

about the rights or the requirements it

can talk about when the government has

to meet so for example how often the

Parliament or the legislature or the

Congress what needs to sit so these are

the basic laws that a country would have

now interestingly enough you would say

okay well you know I guess every country

has a constitution if you look at for

example the United Kingdom so you can

see right here the United Kingdom

because of its age and historical

precedence does not actually have a

single document like the Americans so

the Americans in 77 1776 declare

independence there's the Declaration of

Independence and the later on there's

the Constitution of the United States

and all the amendments and you guys I'm

sure familiar with the 1st and 2nd

amendment at the very least if not maybe

some of the other ones but the

Constitution can

a single written document or it could be

a group of documents and this is

actually what Canada had so if we go to

these guys these are the founding

fathers of the country at the time when

Canada was created as an a singular

entity made up of the original four

provinces there was an act in the

British Parliament known as the British

North American North America act the BNA

act this was in 1867 and this is

commonly referred to today as the

Constitution Act 1867 but this is really

the founding document that says okay you

guys are gonna be a confederation this

is gonna be a new New Commonwealth

country that is gonna be called Canada

it's made up of these four provinces the

four original provinces and so this is

sort of the first attempt at a

constitution so at this point in 1867

we're still not like the Americans with

a singular document Constitution because

we have what's called British common law

and that's again similar to what's going

on actually in the UK where sets of laws

sets of a legal precedent all combine to

sort of make up our Constitution now

this continues all the way until 1931

which in which the statute of

Westminster which is another law that

was passed in in the UK that basically

said that certain parts of the

Commonwealth would be given self-rule

they would be given the ability to to

self govern and so this this act sort of

made up an additional part of Canada's

rights now interestingly enough because

we did not have our own constitution and

because we were so tied into Britain as

we still are in many ways today the

Queen is the official head of state the

governor-general as her representative

is the official head of state on paper

as much as the Prime Minister might

actually be the de facto head of state

which is the in reality head of state

but the the way that our Constitution

was set up and the way that our laws

were set up the Supreme Court of Canada

actually was not even the highest court

in the in the country the highest court

in the country was actually something

called the Judicial Committee of the

Privy Council

and that's in the UK so you could appeal

your you could appeal everything all the

way to the Supreme Court but then you

didn't like the Supreme Court decision

so you could appeal to what's called the

J CPC the Judicial Committee of the

Privy Council and so that's where the

final final decisions would be made now

why is this relevant to the Constitution

or why is this relevant to everything

before we even get into the Charter so

first of all again the Constitution sets

up basic laws it sets out your rights

and freedoms so prior to 1982 you have

your rights contained in a number of

different places you would have the

Canadian Bill of Rights 1960 and the

Canadian Human Rights Act 1977 but

because of the fact that none of these

is actually in a constitutional document

it creates a bit of difficulty for the

judiciary so for the courts to try and

figure out which one of the Rights how

how the government is going to apply or

what happens if your rights are violated

because some of the governance documents

and some of the rights documents are all

different places and so the court really

has to sort of figure it out and again

in the UK to use the UK example because

they don't have a written constitution

that on one hand might be difficult but

they have centuries of British common

law and precedent where court cases have

been decided and how government is going

to respect or uphold human rights so

they have a lot of that history and

that's why for them it's a bit easier to

to to figure things out so back to

Confederation and back to the founding

fathers so again we have a number of

different documents then comes Pierre

Elliot Trudeau so in the elder Trudeau

and he decides that Canada is going to

have to have its own constitution so

we're gonna have to what's called

repatriate our constitution again unlike

the Americans who started off as British

colony in much as we did they decided to

break away declare independence so they

have a declaration of independence and

then they have the Constitution with us

because we stayed part of the

Commonwealth we stayed part of the

British Empire we never had that so we

had to repatriate so pay Trading

repatriating bring our Constitution back

home as

commonly referred to so we had to bring

that back home and that was done in 82

so that is what is called the

Constitution Act 80

that's where the Charter was adopted so

here you can see this is the

Constitution Act 1982 and this is also

the Charter but it's got many many

sections and there's a lot of things

about how you apply it and where the the

rights and responsibilities come from

what is the role you can see I was

looking up some principles here so this

is the big Constitution Act 1982 and

again this is when Canada officially

gets its own constitution so this is now

the highest document the highest legal

document in the country and so we can

use this to understand how we're going

to apply all the rights how we're going

to understand different rights and how

we're going to balance rights between

individuals and operations of the state

so this is all the document and I do

want to go through some of the Charter

just to talk about some of the issues

because again because of the coronavirus

crisis many people have questions what

right does the government have to make

these decisions these sometimes

arbitrary seeming decisions what right

does the government have and what are my

rights and how are these two things

balanced but just before there you can

see here here's a nice video of this is

1982 when the Queen came to actually

sign the Charter so she signed it

which again begs all kinds of

interesting questions about the sort of

Independence of Canada again we're still

very tied to the British monarchy and I

think you know there's some people who

have some issues with that some people

who have don't something do not have

issues with that for me it really all

depends on I guess the the de facto

state of affairs which means the in

reality state of affairs there's a lot

to be said for tradition and there's a

lot to be said for institutions

especially very old institutions so

shouldn't necessarily throw them out

immediately and really you know it all

depends on the how things are in

practice right in in Canada we have a

lot of ties to the British monarchy but

we're not necessarily on an everyday

day-to-day basis we're not really run by

the British monarchy or by the British

Parliament so you know again there's a

lot to parse out there I think maybe

that's the topic for another video

regardless I just wanted to pull up this

this cool video

show you a bit of that history in the

Canadian history so here back to the

Constitution Act 1982 so this is the

Charter and this part of the video if

you've been watching until now this part

of the video were actually gonna go

through some of the Charter and try and

talk about what that means so again here

is the Constitution Act 1982 this is now

the highest law of the land so right off

the bat whereas Canada is founded upon

principles that recognized the supremacy

of God and the rule of law in my last

video I spoke about sort of the natural

rights the god-given rights the

inalienable rights the fact the rights

that you have or that is believe you

have simply because you are a person and

then the rights that government has to

give to you these are the positive again

and negative rights the negative rights

leave me alone you don't need to do

anything so freedom speech just let me

say what I want positive rights you have

to give me something I have a right to

education and right to health or to

housing all these types of things so

again it's important I think that the

supremacy of God is in there because it

speaks to I guess the available and

natural rights of the person so we have

here that the Canadian Charter of Rights

guarantees rights of freedom said on a

subject only to reasonable limits

prescribed by law as and be demonstrably

justified in a free and democratic

society so here we go this is sort of

right off the bat I guess an interesting

one and this talks about the limits now

obviously you can think there might be

limits or when there would be a limit on

somebody's rights that's if they break a

law or if they're doing something

they're not supposed to be doing then

obviously their rights would have to be

violated because that prevents them from

fighting violating other people's rights

so again you commit a crime you're

arrested something you don't have the

right to go anywhere you don't have the

right to do a number of the things you

used to do you lost your free speech you

know you probably should still have the

right to remain free of unlawful search

and seizure which is in here but you

know you've lost a number of rights and

that is a justifiable that is very

justifiable because that's what it takes

to to keep a an orderly and lawful

society so right off the bat here is

sort of one of the founding principles

then we get to the actual freedoms so

this is a freedom of conscience and

religion freedom of thought belief

opinion expression freedom to press on

over there media and communication in a

peaceful assembly freedom of association

implied in this one interesting enough

is freedom to not associate so I can

choose to associate but I can also

choose not to associate some very

interesting legal cases there that

you'll talk about in another video so

these are the sort of the fundamental

freedoms then here's the democratic

rights talking about the right to vote

talking about in time of war you know

what must be done in the House of

Commons this one is especially

interesting interesting because the

coronavirus crisis is put to put to the

test some of these sort of democratic

principles there was quite an issue with

the house meeting or not meeting rather

and early on until we got some virtual

virtual parliamentary sittings able to

be done and so that again is very

interesting since it specifically

outlined what happens to do in what

should we do in a wartime where's this

one again there's a crisis of pandemic

you know probably not thought of when

the authors wrote this but again some

some parallels their mobility rights

talking about moving and in remaining

Canada moving to different provinces

these are the legal rights you have the

right to life liberty security the

person the right to be secure against

unreasonable search and seizure so I

spoke about that before the right to not

be arbitrarily detained or imprisoned

again some very important very

fundamental rights and in the legal

rights as opposed to sort of the

fundamental freedoms so right now the

government is not I don't think anyone

is arguing the government is violating

your freedom of conscience freedom of

religion I don't think they're talking

about some of these other rights you

know thought belief opinion peaceful

assembly maybe because you can't really

go anywhere freedom of association again

you can't really go anywhere so that

somewhat connected but the real one is

the legal rights the right to not be

arbitrarily detained the right to not be

in prison that's again you know

purporting with the with the stay home

orders with the property rights you can

go to your cottage you cannot go to your

cottage you know these these separate

rights and I think this is where people

are finding that question where have our

rights gone

what are happening to our rights and how

do we sort of make sense of all these

things because rights are I guess the

most basic fundamental block of building

a society the fact that everyone is

equal and has rights is something that's

not common throughout history because

throughout history you would have had

baby rulers

aristocrats the wealthy landowners you

know different categories of people

maybe different races different

categories of people they had different

rights than perhaps others you know so

you could have a slave or a indentured

servant or a bondsman we would have less

rights maybe no rights then you know

then different categories of people so

you know me everyone here everyone

everyone everyone that's really critical

and again that's part of the discussion

right now if well if everyone then how

are you how are you telling me this how

are you telling me to stay home how are

you telling me all these things because

everyone it's not just you know some

people so this is all part of that

discussion ongoing right now that I

think is important for us to look at the

most important part though that I think

most people do not know or understand

and I'm gonna have to control F to find

is the right here so this is the sorry

this is male and female that's them I'm

not the correct notwithstanding this is

a section 33 okay

section 33 now this is the I think most

misunderstood part of the charter of the

Canadian Constitution and I want to talk

about it because it doesn't really exist

in the same way in a lot of other

countries and this is what is called the

notwithstanding Clause so

notwithstanding Clause here I'll read it

up first let me talk about it Parliament

or legislature of a province may

expressly declare an act of Parliament

or of the legislature as the case may be

that any act or provision thereof shall

operate notwithstanding a provision so

you're not including a provision

including in section 2 or sections 7 to

15 so in section 2 this is up here this

is your fundamental freedoms or 7 to 15

the legal rights all the way down here

to 15 in quality rights okay so what

does that mean back to section 33 back

to the notwithstanding Clause so ok that

means that Parliament to the federal

parliament or a provincial legislature

can say can especially declare that an

act of Parliament or the legislature is

going to be in effect regardless of what

it says in section 2 or sections 7

through 15 so again so theoretically a

provincial government could pass a law

saying that you know you do not have

freedom of religion right there's only

going to be one

official religion or you do not have

freedom of association you do not have

the right going forward to be safe from

unlawful search and seizure so

theoretically a province could pass that

and therefore your rights as guaranteed

by the Charter are now not guaranteed

because section 33 the notwithstanding

Clause notwithstanding Clause has sort

of unguaranteed them in a particular

sense again this brings up a lot of

discussion of when is it valid when is

it a right that is permanent that it can

never be violated are there times when

it is appropriate to be violated this

section it is important to note has

never been used on the federal level so

the House of Commons has never actually

had to use the notwithstanding Clause

but provinces have used the

notwithstanding Clause and the most

famous example is Quebec with some of

the language laws to pull up a link here

I'll try and pull it up in a second but

some of the language laws in Quebec then

those ones you get around the the

Charter because there's a

notwithstanding notwithstanding Clause

that's being invoked and therefore they

can just get away and say okay well you

know we understand that we understand

that you know it says these rights here

and you know we believe in these lights

however the you know notwithstanding

because of special issues in Quebec

special dynamics in Quebec so therefore

we believe that this particular right is

it's more important to enforce another

right which is language rights and

French language rights as opposed to

this right of people so it's important

to look at these rights and the

notwithstanding Clause in one context

that it can be used to differentiate

between rights or perhaps reorder the

rights in different tiers so you might

say okay well you have two competing

rights but we are gonna now reorder them

so it doesn't necessarily have to be we

don't think you have freedom of religion

we don't think you have freedom of

conscience doesn't necessarily have to

be that it could be simply a reordering

a reordering of all different rights

different i'ts that are competing and so

that is something that I think is

something we need to keep in mind but

regardless the fact that there is a

section 33 that is

is different than I think a lot of other

countries where they have a straight

section that talks about how we're going

to deal with this is very important on

one hand but again this all ties into

the fact that you have to have and I

mentioned in previous video you have to

have a society who's willing to uphold

your rights and in our society in our

you know in the times of we're living

and it's the government that is

upholding your right so in a certain

sense the government is giving your

rights and I'm gonna you know you what

marks the government is giving you your

rights because ultimately it doesn't

matter if the rights are inalienable and

their god-given because the government

society at large is upholding those

rights for you

but then again here we're talking about

the way how to deal with those rights

and so the Charter as a document again

is super important because not only did

it finally bring together as in 1982 did

it finally bring together the laws of

the land in Canada under one document

which makes it much easier and sort of

more important it codifies them as the

basic law of this country but it's

important because right now a lot of the

discussion should revolve around the

Constitution around the Charter and

around our right because we can't talk

about rights unless we all understand

rights in the same way and that's what

this document is trying to do now I do

want to set up for the next for the next

video and I want to talk about you may

have heard this concept of the

Constitution or the Charter is a living

breathing document you may have heared

from her from the US people talking

about the Constitution literally or are

reading into it different things so I

want to talk about that and that's a bit

of a complex issue and that's how we

understand the Charter going forward how

do you read this document I mean this

was written in 1982 so much more recent

but if you're talking about other

documents how do you read them if

they're two three four hundred years old

or in the case of British krama how do

you read that if this is like eight

hundred years old right so something

about to talk about for another video

but other than that I really hope that

everyone found this video somewhat

useful and if you have any questions

about the Constitution I'd love to be

able to try and explore that to get

with you and you know keep posted

subscribe to our YouTube channel here at

true north I know a lot of the tune of

contributors my colleagues are talking

about a lot of very very important

things there's a lot of discussions

going on right now some of them many of

them have especially been speaking about

gun rights which is super super

important and I might even talk about

that depending on where we are sort of

in a week or so but so definitely

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stay up to date on the latest

information other than that have a great

day wash your hands stay safe and I'm

Sam Ashkenazi for TrueNorth

thanks so much and hope you enjoyed