POLS 3130 Lecture Notes - Lecture 23: Bora Laskin, Patriation Reference, Civil Disobedience

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Political Science
• Course: POLS 3130
• Professor: Ajay Sharma

Document Summary

Started an anti-abortion interest group and withheld taxes in protest of abortion policy: civil disobedience led to jail. After traditional political methods (letters, picketing, etc. ), borowski turned to the courts to challenge policy. Government said he was in the wrong court. Government said that he did not have standing : standing party to a legal dispute, precedents on standing had to be directly affected by a law (smith, saumur) Standing began to be expanded under chief justice bora laskin: thorson (1974) challenge to official languages act, claimed that the official languages act, 1968-69, and appropriation. Acts providing money to implement it were unconstitutional: supreme court decided against thorosn, both at first instance and on appeal. Charter of rights: added when the constitution was patriated , came into effect april 1982. Charter strengthened after parliamentary committee hearings in 1980-81: but pro-choice and pro-life groups failed to get desired changes to the text.