John Bowker Profile picture
Policy researcher, retired record & book peddler. Transit, housing, land use, infrastructure & miscellaneous #onpoli wonkery. #ONDP. Tweets my own

Sep 11, 2018, 10 tweets

Having opened the door, Doug Ford says he would “not be shy” in using the notwithstanding clause again in the future to get his way. Here are the fundamental Charter rights that can be taken away with the notwithstanding clause: laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/Const/page… #onpoli

Section 2: freedom of conscience, of religion, of thought and expression; freedom of the press; freedom of peaceful assembly and association

Section 7: the right to life, liberty and security of the person

Sections 8-10: protections against unreasonable search and seizure; the right not to be arbitrarily imprisoned or detained; the right to counsel and habeas corpus

Section 11: the right to a fair trial and the presumption of innocence

Section 12: the right not to be subjected to cruel or unusual punishment

Sections 13 and 14: protection against self-incrimination; the right to an interpreter at trial

Section 15: the right to equality under the law, without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability

If you find it alarming and extraordinary that a government has the power to take away such fundamental rights, that’s because it is. It’s why democratic governments very rarely use this power. It has never before been used in Ontario #onpoli

Doug Ford is normalizing the suspension of human rights with his casual invocation of the notwithstanding clause, which he says he will “not be shy” in using again. And why? To undermine local democracy and settle personal scores. Because he can. Despotic #onpoli

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