Canadian Human Rights

In 1999, on World Peace Day, Pope John Paul said to his people: “When human rights are ignored or scorned, and when the pursuit of individual interests unjustly prevails over the common good, then the seeds of instability, rebellion and violence are inevitably sown.”

Pope John Paul’s words of wisdom can be applied to the way Canadian law protects human rights. Canadian law protects the rights of the people without placing individual interests over the common good. This is why Canada is rich with stability, lawfulness and peace. For seven consecutive years Canada was voted the best place in the world to live by the United Nations.

The resolution we are debating today is whether or not Canadian law protects human rights. The definition of human rights is “the basic rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled, often held to include the right to life and liberty, freedom of thought and expression, and equality before the law.” By examining the Canadian Chart...