Title: "Race," rights and the law in the Supreme Court of Canada : historical case studies /
Authors: Walker, James W. St. G., 1940-; Osgoode Society for Canadian Legal History
Publisher: Osgoode Society for Canadian Legal History : Wilfrid Laurier University Press,
Year: 1997
Subjects: Canada.; Race discrimination Law and legislation Canada Cases.; Race discrimination Law and legislation Canada History
Abstract: Racial tolerance and a dedication to principles of justice have become part of the Canadian identity, and are often used to distinguish our historical character from that of other countries. "Race," Rights and the Law in the Supreme Court of Canada challenges this image. Four cases in which the legal issue was "race," drawn from the period between 1914 and 1955, are intimately examined to explore the role of the Supreme Court of Canada and the law in the racialization of Canadian society. Walker demonstrates that Supreme Court Justices were expressing the prevailing "common sense" about "race" in their legal decisions. He shows that injustice on the grounds of "race" has been chronic in Canadian history, and that the law itself was once instrumental in creating these circumstances. The book concludes with a controversial discussion of current directions in Canadian law and their potential impact on Canada's future as a multicultural society.
Contents: Ch. 1. Orientation -- Ch. 2. Quong Wing v. The King -- Ch. 3. Christie v. York Corporation -- Ch. 4. Noble and Wolf v. Alley -- Ch. 5. Narine-Singh v. Attorney General of Canada -- Ch. 6. Implications.