QUEBEC, August 12th. 19.58
To t h e Prime Minister of Canada
To t h e Members of His Cabinet
To t h e Deputies.
SUPPI;EIVIEl$TARY AND COI'JSOLIDATED SUGGESTIONS COIEERNING
THE PROPOSED BILL OF RIGHTS.
I-
NSIC PRINCIPLES OF A BILL OF RIGHTS.
I. C i v i l Rights should 5e recognized t o an i n d i v i d u a l i r r e l e v a n t
of race, r e l i g i o n o r c l a s s .
2.
Natural law i s the foundation of C i v i l Rights.
3.. Citizens, i n a Democracy should not ask f o r favors from the
S t a t e b u t should demand t h e i r C i v i l Rights or prerogatives.
4,
5.
Life, Liberty and Property a r e inherent t o Civil. Rights.
C i v i l Rights should be given t o a c i t i z e n i r r e l e v a n t l y of
t h e Province i n which he l i v e s ; residence being a pure accident of
b i r t h or l i f e .
6,
I m p a r t i a l i t y and i n t e g r i t y i n the administration of J u s t i c e
i s more important than Science, Knowledge, Learning or Competence.
7. A judge should not hear and adjudge i n a l i t i g a t i o n of any
kind whatsoever i n which he i s a party d i r e c t l y or i n d i r e c t l y and
t h a t i n the broader sense.
8. Basis and Conditions f o r the admission of a Case concerning
C i v i l Rights t o be heard should be f i x e d by r u l i n g s of t h a t Court or
determined by law.
91 Notes pursuing a judgment should be made public or obtainab l e by t h e p a r t i e s .
10.
one + .
U
One should not ask t o a lower Court t o proceed t o a higher
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CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE BODY CREATED TO ADMINISTER
AND GUARANTEE THE PBEROGATIVES FOLLOWING THE C I V I L RIGHTS CHARTER,
1. A Court which might be designated a s the Court of C i v i l Rights
should be composed of members e x t r a c t e d from various learned professions
or occupation.
2. The Court should contain a paragraph e s t a b l i s h i n g an organiz a t i o n t o receive communicationsfrom Citizens making suggestions about
C i v i l Rights of Canadian C i t i z e n s
.
3. That Court should be competent t o receive w r i t t e n or o r a l
testimonies or opinions r e f e r r i n g t o Canadian C i v i l Rights.
4. That Court should study and c o l l e c t information concerning
l e g a l d.evelopments c o n s t i t u t i n g a d e n i a l of equal protection of t h e
law granted by t h e Charter.
5 Other branches of Government should cooperate with t h e
Court s o e s t a b l i s h e d in order t h a t it may c a r r y out f u l l y and e f f e c t i v e l y i t s functions and d u t i e s .
6 . The e s t a b l i s h e d Court should have a u t h o r i t y t o d e a l w i t h
e v i d e n t c o n f l i c t of J u s t i c e or law when:
a ) i t has been d e f i n i t e l y proven t h a t t h e C i v i l R i g h t s of
a c i t i z e n has been impaired;
b ) The Court should have t h e a u t h o r i t y t o e s t a b l i s h s t a n d a r d s of v i o l a t i o n of C i v i l Rights of a n i n d i v i d u a l ;
he Court should have l e g a l a u t h o r i t y t o quash judgments
c)
rendered by any o t h e r Court i n which v i o l a t i o n of C i v i l Rights o r
i n j u s t i c e has been s u f f e r e d by a c i t i z e n and g r a n t due compensation.
d ) I n order t h a t C i v i l Rights be e f f e c t i v e t h e Court sholtld
have t h e duty t o s t u d y o u t r i g h t t h e complaints o r t h e l i t i g a t i o n of
a c i t i z e n f a l l i n g under i t s j u r i s d i c t i o n , avoiding d e l a y encountered
i n any o t h e r j u r i s d i c t i o n .
e ) The judgment of t h e Civil i2ights Court should be f i n a l
or reviewable only by t h e Cabinet M i n i s t e r s .
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7-11 The following documents a r e offered f o r c o n s i d e r a t i o n which
might be of h e l p i n t h e establishment of t h a t Court:
a)
"CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1957"
The Government of the United S t a t e s of America approved
a Charter designated a s "Public law 85-315 85th Congress H,R. 6127"
on September 9th. 1957. I e x t r a c t From t h a t document t h e f o l l o w i n g
disnositions :
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S e c t i o n lOh ( a ) The Commission s h a l l
(2') s t u d y and
c o l l e c t information concerning l e g a l developments c o n s t i t u t i n g a
d e n i a l of e q u a l p r o t e c t i o n of t h e laws under t h e C o n s t i t u t i o n .
S e c t i o n 105 ( c ) The Commission may c o n s t i t u t e such advis o r y cornmisees w i t h i n s t a t e s composed of c i t i z e n s of t h a t s t a t e and
nay c o n s u l t w i t h governors, a t t o r n e y s g e n e r a l and o t h e r r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s
of s t a t e and l o c a l governments and p r i v a t e o r g a n i z a t i o n s a s it deems
advisable.
S e c t i o n 1 0 5 ( e ) A l l F e d e r a l agencies should cooperate f u l l y
w i t h t h e Commission t o t h e end. t h a t it may e f f e c t i v e l y c a r r y out i t s
f u n c t i o n s and d u t i e s .
THE CO?'?STITUTIOT\TOF THE UNITED STATES.
A r t i c l e V of t h e amendments of t h e C o n s t i t ~ z t i o nr e a d s i n
p a r t a s follows:
"nor s h a l l be compelled i n any c r i m i n a l c a s e t o
'[be a ~ s i t n e s sa g a i n s t himself nor be d e p r i v e d of
" l i f e , l i b e r t y or property, without due process
I1
Itof law.
....
A r t i c l e X1V:
.
C i t i z e n s h i p not t o be abridged.
no s t a t e s h a l l make or enforce any law which
' ' s h a l l abrid,ge t h e p r i v i l e d g e s o r immunities of
'{Citizens of t h e United S t a t e s ; nor s h a l l any
Q s t a t e deprive any person of l i f e , l i b e r t y or pro" p e r t y without due process of law nor deny t o any
"person w i t h i n i t s j u r i s d i c t i o n t h e e q u a l p r o t e c t i o n
"of t h e laws:
It..
c)
THE BRITISH NORTI-! RWF1ICA ACT.
Our C o n s t i t u t i o n does not d e f i n e or c o n t a i n any p r o v i s i o n s
r e f e r r i n g t o C i v i l Rights. Nothing s p e c i f i c about C i v i l Rights i s
contained i n t h a t document.
d ) The f o l l o w i n g s t i p u l a t i o n s of t h e C i v i l Right Charter
adopted by t h e United Nations a r e wortl-iy of remarks:
A l l a r e e q u a l before law and have a r i g h t
Article 7
I1without' any d i s t i n c t i o n t o t h e p r o t e c t i o n of t h e law.
"Everybody has t h e r i g h t t o an equal p r o t e c t i o n a g a i n s t
I f any d i s dr imination t h a t should v i o l a t e t h e present
I t d e c l a r a t i o n and a g a i n s t any provocation t o such a
lldiscrimination.v
A r t i c l e 1 0 "Everybody has a r i g h t , i n f u l l equ-ality
" t h a t h i s c a s e be heard w i t h e q u i t y and p u b l i c l y by
Itan independent t r i b u n a l and i m p a r t i a l one t h a t w i l l
"decide of h i s r i g h t s and o b l i g a t i o n s .
A r t i c l e . l 6 (2) "Marriage cannot be c e l e b r a t e d w i t h o u t
I f f u l l l i b e r t y and conssnt of t h e p a r t i e s . "
A r t i c l e 1 7 ( 1 ) flEverybody, e i t h e r alone o r c o l l e c t i f t v e l y has a r i g h t t o ownership.I1
Article 1 7 (2)
"property."
TfNobodyshould be d e p r i v e d of h i s
R e s p e c t f u l l y submitted,
VICTOR ISxROCHELI.8
Mas.Com. Chzrtered Acoountant.