page_title: Human rights in Canada
section_title: Domestic legal protection framework
hierarchical_section_title: Human rights in Canada / Modern legal framework / Domestic legal protection framework
caption_attribution_description: Distributing copies of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
context_page_description: Human rights in Canada have come under increasing public attention and legal protection since World War II. Prior to that time, there were few legal protections for human rights. The protections which did exist focused on specific issues, rather than taking a general approach to human rights. There were notable events in Canada's history which would today be considered violations of human rights.
  The current legal framework for the protection of human rights in Canada consists of constitutional entitlements, and statutory human rights codes, both federal and provincial. The constitutional foundation of the modern Canadian human rights system is the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms of 1982, which is part of the Constitution of Canada. Before 1982, there was little constitutional protection against government interference with human rights. Today, the Charter guarantees fundamental freedoms, democratic rights, mobility rights, legal rights, equality rights, and language rights.
context_section_description: Human rights in Canada are now given legal protections by the dual mechanisms of constitutional entitlements and statutory human rights codes, both federal and provincial. There are two main federal pieces of human rights legislation in Canada; the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Canadian Human Rights Act.
  The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms of 1982 is part of Canada’s Constitution. The Charter guarantees political, mobility, and equality rights and fundamental freedoms such as the freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and freedom of religion. It only applies to governments, and not to private individuals, businesses or other organizations. Charter rights are enforced by legal actions in the criminal and civil courts, depending on the context in which a Charter claim arises.
  The Canadian Human Rights Act of 1977 protects people in Canada from discrimination when they are employed by or receive services from the federal government, or private companies that are regulated by the federal government. The Act applies throughout Canada, but only to federally regulated activities; all provincial and territorial Canadian jurisdictions provide anti-discrimination protections concerning employment practices, housing, and the provision of goods and services generally available to the public. Claims under the human rights laws are of a civil nature. They are typically investigated by a human rights commission under the applicable human rights law and are adjudicated either by a human rights tribunal or by the court of first instance.
caption: Printed copies of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
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