R v Oakes: Giving Structure to Section 1 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms

• Author: Peter W Hogg
• Pages: 665-673



R v Oakes

GIVINGSTRUCTURETOSECTION

OFTHECHARTER OF RIGHTS

AND FREEDOMS

Peter W Hogg*

A. INTRODUCTION

ThisseriesoftheLawSocietySpecialLecturesfocusesoncasesthat

helpdeneCanadaasanationTherecanbenodoubtthatthe

Charter of Rights and FreedomshelpeddeneCanadaasanationandsec

tionoftheCharterwhichdenesthestandardofjudicialreviewisa

veryimportantpartoftheCharterThatisthereasonformyselectionof

R v OakesinwhichDicksonCJgavestructuretosectionoftheCharter

of Rights and Freedoms

B.HISTORY OF THE CHARTER OF RIGHTS

AND FREEDOMS

The Charter of Rights and FreedomswastheideaofLiberalPrimeMinister

PierreTrudeauInheprovidedarstdraftonlytohisseniorof

cialswhohadundoubtedlyhelpedwiththedraftingandtotheprov

incial premiers The provincia l premiers ofall par tiesu nanimously

opposed the project they did not want illdened li mits on the pow

ersofthelegislaturesthattheycontrolledThePrimeMinisterseems

to have assumed that the provincial premiers repres ented the views

oftheirconstituentsandthattheprojectwouldbedeeplyunpopular

 ScholarinResidenceBlakeCasselsGraydonLLP