Shostack + Friends Blog Archive

 

Canadian Charter of Rights And Freedoms

So let me get this straight…

Quebec Court Judge Danielle Cote handed [link to http://www.canada.com/montreal/montrealgazette/soundoff/story.html?id=d24ea0f5-cb50-429b-a4ff-d99d212d87a1 no longer works] down a 153-page ruling that found two sections of the federal Radiocommunication Act violate the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Cote extended a grace period of one year before her ruling would come into effect.

So the law is a violation of Canadians’ rights to watch the TV of their choice, but the government can keep violating those rights for a year?

I’d be a lot more impressed if the Canadian courts were willing to intentionally add littles bit of chaos to society. When the courts struck down the pot laws, there were still arrests for a law that was off the books. There’s uncertainty in the law right now, even if Cote said her ruling doesn’t apply for a while. A year’s delay only makes it worse.