Canadian Government Information on the Internet (CGII)

by Anita Cannon, the Depository Services Program and Contributors

Law and legislation -- Federal Information

• Access to Justice Network
• Canada and International Human Rights
• Canada Gazette
• Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
• Canadian Human Rights Commission
• Canadian Human Rights Tribunal
• Canadian Judicial Council
• Canadian Legislation
• Constitution Acts 1867 to 1982
• Department of Justice Canada
• Electronic Frontier Canada
• Federal Court of Canada
• Human Rights Program, Canadian Heritage
• Law Commission of Canada
• National Crime Prevention Centre
• Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs
• Supreme Court of Canada
• Supreme Court of Canada Judgments
• Tax Court of Canada

Canada and International Human Rights
As signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and six other international human rights conventions, Canada is required to submit regular reports to the United Nations. These reports are the most complete single official source of information on the human rights situation in Canada. This site offers these reports in full text together with the relevant UN committee's concluding observations. Several Canadian cases under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights were considered by the ICCPR committee. The system in Canada of implementing, monitoring and reporting on international human rights instruments is explained. Under "Special Themes," human rights issues that are relevant to natives and persons with disabilities are linked to specific parts of the text in Canada's reports. General information on the United Nations human rights system is also given: its evolution since 1945, guidelines on reporting, the functions of the UN bodies that oversee human rights issues and a glossary of UN terminology.
(2001-11-12, Carol Mazur, McMaster University )

Site available in English and French.
http://www.pch.gc.ca/progs/pdp-hrp/inter/index_e.cfm

Canada Gazette
"The Canada Gazette has been the official newspaper of the Government of Canada since 1841." Reflecting the official bilingual print version, the Gazette is offered at this site in three parts: Part I for various government and public notices; Part II for new regulations and Part III for recent statutes (public acts). The weekly issues of Parts I and II can be viewed in either PDF or ASCII (excludes graphic type material) format. Part III is only in PDF format. Indexes for Parts I and II are found by scrolling through the list of issues. While the indexes are useful, the uninitiated user might find them awkward to use. For the regulations, which are detailed rules complementary to each of the statutes, there is a link in the Part II section to the Consolidated Statutes and Regulations of Canada and this is probably the best way for the general user to find the regulations (and statutes) on a particular topic. A book entitled, 160 Years of the Canada Gazette, chronicles its history and evolution and gives a detailed description of its contents.
(2001-11-12, Carol Mazur, McMaster University )

Site available in English and French.
http://www.canada.gc.ca/gazette/main.html

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
The Canadian Charter is perhaps one of the most cited and applied pieces of legislation in Canada today. The complete text of the Charter is available at the Department of Justice Web site. While brief, this important part of the Constitution Act, 1982 delineates and enshrines the specific civil, legal and human rights of Canadians. These include the fundamental freedoms of thought, belief and expression and the rights to equality which prohibit discrimination on the basis or race, religion, sex and age. Sections of the Charter also outline democratic, mobility, legal, and language rights in Canada. The Charter also ensures that the rights outlined will not abrogate the aboriginal rights found in treaties and other agreements.
(2001-05-09, Carol Mazur, McMaster University )

Site available in English and French.
http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/charter/index.html

Canadian Human Rights Commission
The role of the Commission is to hear complaints made under the Canadian Human Rights Act. The Act ensures equality and protection from discrimination for employees of, or those dealing with federal employers such as government departments, banks, airlines and telephone companies. The Commission also promotes human rights and equality through public awareness, encourages pay equity, audits employers under the Employment Equity Act, helps reduce barriers for people with disabilities and stops telephone hate lines. All these functions and the organizational structure of the Commission are explained. So are the Commission's policies on such issues as drug testing and AIDS. Background material outlines the grounds for discrimination and defines what constitutes discrimination. The complaints process is described in detail. Under an "Issues" column the following issues are listed: aboriginal peoples, disability, employment equity, harassment, pay equity, race and religion, sexual discrimination and sexual orientation. For each there is a commentary on the issue and relevant publications which may include the Commission's Annual Report and legal reports on the subject. News releases, multilingual leaflets, annual and other Commission reports, numerous publications and posters for employees and employers are available for viewing or downloading. One can also access a copy of the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Employment Equity Act.
(2001-11-23, Carol Mazur, McMaster University )

Site available in English and French.
http://www.chrc-ccdp.ca/menu.asp?l=e

Canadian Human Rights Tribunal
This body hears discrimination cases against federally-regulated employers and service providers. The cases must first be referred to it from the Canadian Human Rights Commission (see separate entry). The Tribunal also operates as the Employment Equity Review Tribunal. Details of the mandate and the workings of the Tribunal are explained. A better understanding of the mediation process can be gained from the various publications provided. Tribunal decisions since 1990 are posted in full text and are searchable by year, name of complainant, or keyword. Rulings since 1999 are arranged by topic. For current cases there is a schedule of upcoming hearings and a list of cases currently before the Tribunal. The site also provides access to relevant legislation, namely the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Employment Equity Act and a list of links to Canadian provincial/territorial human rights commissions.
(2001-11-13, Carol Mazur, McMaster University )

Site available in English and French.
http://www.chrt-tcdp.gc.ca/index_e.asp

Canadian Judicial Council
The Council deals with the continuing education of judges, with complaints raised against judges of the superior and tax courts of Canada, with issues on the administration of justice and with judicial salaries and benefits. This site includes the Council's by-laws, its governing legislation, the Judges Act, Part II and the process and procedures for making a complaint against a judge. A number of reports and decisions of various inquiry committees that heard cases in public are available. Among the other publications in PDF format are the Annual Reports, Ethical Principles for Judges, and The Conduct of Judges and the Role of the Canadian Judicial Council. An electronic journal, Computer News for Judges, helps to keep the profession up-to-date on computer and internet applications as they apply to the work of judges.
(2001-11-28, Carol Mazur, McMaster University )

Site available in English and French.
http://www.cjc-ccm.gc.ca

Canadian Legislation
The purpose of this site is to give anyone access to Canadian federal and provincial statutes, regulations and legislative information by presenting a simple and effective layout by province and territory of the available online legislation links. Each link also explains who is responsible for the content of the link (eg. E-Laws - Queen's Printer for Ontario).
(2002-12-13, Donna Millard, McMaster University millard@mcmaster.ca)

Site available in English and French.
http://www.legis.ca/en/index.html

Constitution Acts 1867 to 1982
The Constitution Acts from 1867 and 1982 are the two key constitutional documents of Canada. They outline the executive and legislative powers of both the federal and provincial governments of Canada. The Constitution Act, 1867 is an up-to-date, consolidated text that incorporates all the changes made to the original act since 1867. Much of the historical background and changes made through the years can be found in the endnotes after the amended sections. Important sections were added to the constitution in the Constitution Act, 1982: the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Rights of the Aboriginal Peoples, Equalization and Regional Disparities and the Procedure for Amending the Constitution.
(2001-05-09, Carol Mazur, McMaster University )

Site available in English and French.
http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/const/index.html

Department of Justice Canada
In this well-organized and attractive site the Department of Justice presents the public with a wealth of legal and justice information and links. Two major sections of note are "Programs and Services" and "Laws." Under the first, finds a wide range of areas covered by the Department: family law, aboriginal justice, constitutional affairs, crime, e-commerce, francophonie, firearms and youth justice. Accompanying each of these topics is background information and many resources in the form of relevant legislation, programs, publications, public consultations, etc. The link for "Laws" brings you to a page that offers the Consolidated Statutes and Regulations in HTML format and a variety of search options, including keyword. Quick links on the same page provide direct access to the most used statutes such as the Criminal Code, the Immigration Act, the Constitution Acts 1867 to 1982 and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Additionally there are links to recent bills and regulations (Canada Gazette), federal and provincial case law and statutes. Many of the reports and publications found throughout the site along with numerous others are grouped under "Publications" and these are available in either HTML or PDF format. Publications of note are the Charter of Rights Decisions Digest, Canada's System of Justice, Canada's Court System and a Guide to the Making of Federal Acts and Regulations. Elsewhere there are reports of public consultations, employment opportunities, news releases, judicial appointments and speeches.
(2001-11-13, Carol Mazur, McMaster University )

Site available in English and French.
http://canada.justice.gc.ca/en/index.html

Electronic Frontier Canada
Electronic Frontier Canada (EFC) is a non-governmental organization set up to ensure that Canadians' right to privacy is protected in the face of new computing telecommunications and information technology developments. From the Press Releases, one can trace the lobbying efforts of this organization. The Media Archives, issued monthly since 1992 contain articles from Canadian and foreign newspapers with subjects ranging from computer crimes such as child pornography to different privacy issues: fingerprinting, smart cards, video surveillance, computer hacking, etc. A "Legal Resources" section links to legislation (constitutional, Charter, human rights, information, privacy, broadcasting, telecommunication), court decisions and background documents. EFC's two major campaigns are profiled: The Golden Key Campaign (for strong cryptography) and the Blue Ribbon Campaign for the "Freedom of Expression in Cyberspace." The searchable Archives include university policies on privacy, censorship and academic freedom. EFC invites membership applications and subscription to four different email lists.
(2001-11-13, Carol Mazur, McMaster University )

Site available in English and French.
http://www.efc.ca/

Federal Court of Canada
The Federal Court is one of the two highest courts in Canada, the Supreme Court being the other (see separate entry). The Federal Court hears cases by and against the federal government and conducts judicial reviews of decisions made by federal boards and commissions. The Court has jurisdiction in many areas including interprovincial or federal-provincial disputes, intellectual property, labour and appeals relating to taxation, citizenship and immigration. The Court's decisions going back to 1996 can be accessed by year, case name or keyword. For upcoming cases, under "Business" one will find dates for court hearings and motions. A wide range of information can be found about the Court: its history, administration, areas of jurisdiction, biographies of judges, registry office information, service standards and assessment of defendant's costs. The text of the Federal Court Act, the regulations and rules are given. Booklets explaining the Court, judicial review and immigration proceedings are found among the "Publications." Under "Bulletins" there are "Notices to the Profession" which give trial and motion dates, discussion papers and circulars.
(2001-11-15, Carol Mazur, McMaster University )

Site available in English and French.
http://www.fct-cf.gc.ca

Human Rights Program, Canadian Heritage
As explained in the site, this federal program is involved in educational, promotional and coordination activities within Canada that relate to human rights. Under the link, "Human Rights in Canada" there is a copy of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms as well as a Guide to the Charter. At the international level, Canada has signed six major UN human rights conventions and the reports of Canada's implementation of these are available here together with the relevant UN committee's conclusions. (see entry under Canada and International Human Rights) The complete text is provided for all six conventions and also for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. A "core" publication worth noting is a reference document which is submitted to the UN committees to explain Canada's land, population, political structure and legal framework. This publication should also be valuable to anyone looking for a concise social, political and legal (particularly human rights) overview of Canada. The "Official Documents" section of the site also includes information on human rights issues related to aboriginals and the disabled and a UN questionnaire on progress made in the fight against racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia. Canada's response (federal and provincial) to the questions gives some insight into what has been, or has not been, done in this important area.
(2001-11-12, Carol Mazur, McMaster University )

Site available in English and French.
http://www.canadianheritage.gc.ca/progs/pdp-hrp/index_e.cfm

Law Commission of Canada
The Commission is an independent body which examines current social and economic issues in the context of the current law and makes recommendations to the government for updating or improvement. The four major themes of the Commission's work are found in the Web site: social relationships, personal relationships, economic relationships and governance relationships. Under these themes, there are projects such as "Close Personal Relationships Between Adults". Background information is given on the project and associated resources in the form of discussion papers, research papers, online resources, audio documents and video Web casts. Numerous invitations are made for public input throughout the site and scholars and experts are invited to submit proposals for research. New information is given in news releases and notices are posted for up-coming conferences. "Resources" conveniently groups the various papers, reports, videos, etc. found throughout the site. High school students are invited to participate in an essay contest. Links include Canadian and other law commissions and a number of law-related Web sites.
(2001-11-15, Carol Mazur, McMaster University )

Site available in English and French.
http://www.lcc.gc.ca/

National Crime Prevention Centre
The Centre is responsible for the National Strategy on Community Safety and Crime Prevention, a program which involves partnerships between governments and individual community groups. The objectives of Phase I and II of the Strategy are outlined. Four programs and the projects associated with them are described: the Community Mobilization Program, the Business Action Program on Crime Prevention (both with funding application forms), the Crime Prevention Investment Fund, and the Crime Prevention Partnership Program. Others included are crime prevention projects benefiting victims and crime prevention tools. The site has a number of publications in both HTML and PDF format which cover many topics on crime, victimization, children, youth, family and women. Numerous links, grouped by broad topics, are made to organizations, educational institutions and government bodies relevant to crime and safety. "What's New" includes new initiatives, publications, news releases and upcoming events.
(2001-11-23, Carol Mazur, McMaster University )

Site available in English and French.
http://www.prevention.gc.ca/en/index.asp

Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs
This body administers federal judicial appointments. Additionally it is responsible for selecting, editing and publishing significant decisions and judgments of the Federal Court. The official bilingual publication called Federal Court Reports is available in printed form in libraries and by subscription. However, as a service to the public, this site also makes available the Federal Court Reports from 1993 onwards as well as recent years of unreported cases. For anyone needing to search cases by topic, an analytical search option is offered. A subscription to a listserv mailing list will provide an awareness service giving brief notes on new decisions. For the appointment of judges to the superior courts, the federal judicial appointments process is explained and a Personal History Form is included.
(2001-11-19, Carol Mazur, McMaster University )

Site available in English and French.
http://www.fja.gc.ca/home/index_e.html

Supreme Court of Canada
"The Supreme Court of Canada stands at the apex of the Canadian judicial system." This site provides an opportunity to find out more about the court, its history, administration, statistics, the library and tours of the Court. The biographies and functions of the Chief Justice and other justices of the court are given. The whole Canadian judicial system is explained along with various judicial concepts and processes such as appeals and references. Legislation includes the Supreme Court Act, Regulations and Rules and associated forms and fees. Through a link from the Centre de Recherche en Droit Public, Judgments of the Supreme Court can be accessed (see separate entry) as well as news releases and the weekly Bulletin of Proceedings. Current awareness services offered at this site are a schedule of dates and the status of current cases and a mailing list called "Notices to the Profession."
(2001-11-19, Carol Mazur, McMaster University )

Site available in English and French.
http://www.scc-csc.gc.ca

Supreme Court of Canada Judgments
The Supreme Court of Canada and LexUM at the Centre de Recherche en Droit Public at the University of Montreal are jointly responsible for this site. They provide a great service by making the important decisions or judgments of the Supreme Court, from 1985 to the present, widely accessible. A disclaimer posted warns that for legal purposes, judgments on the internet are not the "official form," as they are in the printed Supreme Court Reports. However, for the most part, the general user will see little difference between the print and internet versions. Something which is not possible with the printed reports and available here is the ability to search judments by keyword, date, field or topic. The text of the judgment is in both English and French and can be viewed in HTML, text or Wordperfect formats. Other publications included are the Court's weekly Bulletin of Proceedings and News Releases. A listserv mailing list is offered for the News Releases and recent judgments.
(2001-11-19, Carol Mazur, McMaster University )

Site available in English and French.
http://www.lexum.umontreal.ca/csc-scc/en/index.html

Tax Court of Canada
The Supreme Court of Canada and LexUM at the Centre de Recherche en Droit Public at the University of Montreal are jointly responsible for this site. They provide a great service by making the important decisions or judgments of the Supreme Court, from 1985 to the present, widely accessible. A disclaimer posted warns that for legal purposes, judgments on the internet are not the "official form," as they are in the printed Supreme Court Reports. However, for the most part, the general user will see little difference between the print and internet versions. Something which is not possible with the printed reports and available here is the ability to search judments by keyword, date, field or topic. The text of the judgment is in both English and French and can be viewed in HTML, text or Wordperfect formats. Other publications included are the Court's weekly Bulletin of Proceedings and News Releases. A listserv mailing list is offered for the News Releases and recent judgments.
(2001-11-20, Carol Mazur, McMaster University )

Site available in English and French.
http://www.tcc-cci.gc.ca

Copyright © 2002 Anita Cannon and Public Works and Government Services Canada