Prematurity, Precaution, and the Charter: Protection of Substantive Environmental Rights in Canada

AuthorTheresa A McClenaghan
Pages174-187

PrematurityPrecaution
and the Charter
PR OTEC T ION O F S U BSTANT I V E
EN V I R ON M E N TA L R IGH T S I N C A NA DA
Theresa A McClenaghan, LLB, LLM*
A. INTRODUCTION
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedomsc ould theore tical lyp rovide
protectionforsubsta ntiveenvironmental rightsTh iscouldbe doneby
wayofinterpretationoft heprovisionsofeither sectionguaranteeing
everyonetheright tolifel ibertyandsecu rityoftheperson orsection
whichprovidesthat everyindividual isequal beforeand underthe
lawandhastherighttotheequalprotectionandequalbenetofthelaw
withoutdiscri minationi nparticu larwithoutdiscr iminationbas edon
groundsenumeratedinsection
Howeversofarthe facts oft hedecided environmental cases con
sideringthes eclaimsa ndthe ruli ngsthereonhave notresulted in de
cisions that granted a na l remedyon Charter grounds T he cases to
dateinCanadaon sections andinconnect ionwithenviron mental
groundsfallintothreec ategories
 Courtsfoundthemaernotreadyforadjudicationduetoarguments
ofprematuritymootnessorjusticiability
 TheresaMcClenag hanisExecutiveDi rectorandCouns elwiththeCan adian
Environmenta lLawAssociationT hankstoJessicaK arbanstudentatlawatthe
CanadianEnvi ronmentalLawAss ociationforherassi stancewithre searchforthi s
chap ter
 Operation Dismantle Inc v the Que en SCROperation DismantleMetropoli-
tan Authority v Coalition of Citizens for a C harter ChallengeCanLIINSCA

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