Featured Court Rulings

Welcome to the Centre for Constitutional Studies' Featured Court Rulings web page.

This service is intended to help members of the public understand Court decisions related to Canada's constitutional law. Constitutional cases have been summarized by lawyers and the Centre's law research students. The legal decisions are briefed in plain English. References to original sources are provided.

Latest Entries

• Reference re Secession of Quebec, in Context: Articulating Canada’s Underlying Constitutional Principles, Examining the Right to Self-Determination, Confronting the Court’s Limits in Dealing with Political Matters 
• Carter v Canada (Attorney General) (2012): BC Court Rules that Ban on Assisted Suicide is Unconstitutional
• R v Willier (2010): Does the Right to Counsel Include a Right to a Specific Lawyer?
• British Columbia Teachers’ Federation v British Columbia (2011) – Third Party Election Advertising limits in BC Election Campaigns
• R v Sinclair (2010): No Constitutional Right to Have a Lawyer Present During Police Interrogation
• Reference re: Securities Act (2011) - Does Parliament Have the Power to Establish a Canada-wide Securities Regulator?
• Tessier Ltée v Quebec (2012) – Division of Powers and Labour Relations
• Harper v Canada (2004) - Third Party Election Advertising limits in Federal Election Campaigns
• Reference re: Manitoba Language Rights
• R. v. Withler (Canada) Attorney-General
• R  v. Grant: Psychological detention and the exclusion of evidence
• The Saskatchewan Marriage Commissioner's Reference
• Westendorp v. The Queen – Can a City Prohibit Street Prostitution? (1983)
• Law v. Canada (Minister of Employment and Immigration) (1999) – Equality Rights Framework
• Harvey v. New Brunswick (1996) – The Right to be Qualified for Membership in the House of Commons or a Legislative Assembly
• R. v. Powley (2003) – Métis Rights
• Figueroa v. Canada (2003) – The Right to Vote and Registered Party Status
• Egan v. Canada (1995) – Equality Rights and Same-Sex Spousal Benefits
• Sauvé v. Canada (1993) – Voting Rights for Prisoners
• Sauvé v. Canada (2002) – Limits on Voting Rights for Prisoners
•  Reference re Provincial Electoral Boundaries (1991) – Electoral District Boundaries and the Right to Vote
• Eldridge v. British Columbia (Attorney General) (1997) – Equality Rights and Services for the Deaf
• Vancouver (City) v. Ward (2010) – Damages for Breach of Charter Rights 
• Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority v. Canadian Federation of Students (2009) – Political Expression on Public Transit
• Ontario (Public Safety and Security) v. Criminal Lawyers' Association (2010) – Freedom of Expression and Access to Government Documents
• Toronto Star Newspapers Ltd. v. Canada – Freedom of Expression and Publication Bans (2010)
• R. v. National Post (2010): Do Journalists Have a Right to Protect Sources?
• R. v. Morelli – Unreasonable Search and Seizure (2010)
• Operation Dismantle v. The Queen: Charter Rights, Government Decisions, and the Risk of War (1985)
• R. v. Nasogaluak: Criminal Sentence Reductions for Charter Breaches (2010)
• Canada (Prime Minister) v. Omar Khadr – The Crown Prerogative and Charter Rights (2010)
• Chatterjee v. Ontario (Attorney General): Provincial Law on Proceeds of Crime (2009)
• Reference re Same-sex Marriage (2004)
• R. v. Ladouceur: The Constitutionality of Random Roving Vehicle Stops (1990)
• Alberta v. Hutterian Brethren of Wilson Colony (2009)
• Corbiere v. Canada (1999)
• The Upper House Reference (1980)
• Reference re Firearms Act (1995)
• R. v. Patrick – Is There a Reasonable Expectation of Privacy in Garbage? (2009)
• R. v. L.L.S.: Unreasonable Strip-Searches and the Charter (2009)
• R. v. Cardinal - First Nations Commercial Harvesting (2009)
• R. v. Caron - Language Rights in Alberta (2008)
• Ermineskin Indian Band and Nation v. Canada - Fiduciary Obligation to Invest Oil and Gas Royalties (2009)  
• R. v. Caron - Alberta Court of Appeal Awards Costs in Caron Case (2009)
• R. v. D.B. - Reverse onus provisions and Section 7 of the Charter (2008)
• R. v. White - Publication Ban Upheld (2008)
• R v. Kapp - Supreme Court Approves Affirmative Action Program (2008)
• Canada (Attorney General) v. Lameman - Papachase Land Claim Resolved (2008)
• R. v. Ferguson - Supreme Court Upholds Mandatory Minimum Sentence and Refuses to Grant Constitutional Exemption (2008)Morrow v. Zhang- Alberta Court Strikes Down Damages Cap (2008)