Mahatma Ghandi once said: “A nation’s greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members.” Canada has used solitary confinement for prisoners for decades. In the past several years, solitary confinement has been the subject of criticism from civil libertarians and mental health advocates. Usually, solitary confinement involves isolating inmates in a small cell […]
About Linda McKay-Panos
Linda McKay-Panos, BEd, JD, LLM, is the Executive Director of the Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre in Calgary, Alberta.
HUMAN RIGHTS | Access to Justice Given a Boost by Downtown Eastside Sex Workers Case
January 7, 2020 By Linda McKay-Panos
20/20: Looking back over the last 20 years In Downtown Eastside Sex Workers United Against Violence Society v Canada (Attorney General), 2012 SCC 45 (DESW), the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) adapted the rule on public interest standing. This resulted in the potential for better access to justice, especially for vulnerable peoples who may not otherwise have […]
Equality Issues and Assisted Death Legislation
November 1, 2019 By Linda McKay-Panos
In Carter v Canada (Attorney General), the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) ruled that Criminal Code sections 241 and 14 deprived adults of their right to life, liberty and security of the person under s. 7 of the Charter. Sections 241 and 14 prohibited physician-assisted dying for competent adults who sought such assistance as a […]
Gay-Straight Alliances
August 30, 2019 By Linda McKay-Panos
Gay-straight alliances (GSAs) are groups formed in schools and run by students with teacher support or sponsorship. The purpose of a GSA is to create welcoming, caring, respectful and safe spaces for LGBTQ2S+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, Two-Spirit, Intersex, Pansexual, Asexual, Androgynous) students and their allies. GSAs often work on advocacy, human […]
When is Reinstatement Possible for Employment Discrimination?
August 30, 2019 By Linda McKay-Panos
A worker experiencing discrimination must choose the legal avenue that will give them the result they want. For example, if pursuing the matter in court, the worker will have to start a contract claim (e.g., wrongful dismissal) or tort claim. One cannot sue in tort for discrimination, but one can sue in tort for the […]
