Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982, protects the existing Aboriginal rights of the “aboriginal peoples of Canada”, which includes the Métis. Aboriginal rights are modern-day practices, customs or traditions that are integral to Indigenous communities today and have their roots in the community’s practices, customs and traditions prior to contact with explorers and [...]
The Supreme Court of Canada has held that a Treaty between the Crown and Indigenous peoples is unique. It is neither created nor terminated according to the rules of international law. The term “Historic Treaty” refers to Treaties that were negotiated an entered into by representatives of the British Crown and the Indigenous peoples [...]
Aboriginal rights are modern-day practices, customs or traditions that are integral to Indigenous communities today and have their roots in the community’s practices, customs and traditions prior to contact with explorers and traders arriving from Europe. Although traceable to pre-contact practices, the practice protected today will not be frozen in its historical form, and [...]
Since it was first articulated by the Supreme Court of Canada in 2004, the law on the duty to consult and, if appropriate, accommodate claimed and established Aboriginal and Treaty rights has helped to promote the economic development of Aboriginal lands and communities. The duty means that federal and provincial governments must take the [...]
Westaway Law Group is proud to represent our First Nation, Métis and Inuit clients as Appellants, Respondents and Interveners before the Supreme Court of Canada. Located just minutes from the Supreme Court, we are also poised to act as Ottawa Agents for the service and filing of documents as required by the Court. Representation [...]
HUMAN RIGHTS AND INTERNATIONAL LAW Human rights are rights that we all have by virtue of our shared humanity. In Canada, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms provides constitutional protection for these rights, including the right for everyone to be equal before and under the law. Federal, provincial and territorial human rights laws also [...]
RESOLVING LEGAL DISPUTES: ALTERNATIVES TO LITIGATION All legal issues are essentially a dispute: two (or more) parties cannot agree on the interpretation or enforcement of their legal obligations. While the resolution of legal disputes is often conflated with the adversarial court system, in fact there exist a wide range of “alternatives” to litigation. The [...]
R v Reynolds, 2017 NBCA 36 Subject : Fish and wildlife offences- illegal sale of moose Facts: The Aboriginal defendant killed a moose and traded its meat to K for a car. K, a non-Aboriginal person, was charged with unlawfully possessing and trading moose meat under Fish and Wildlife Act. The Defendant was charged as an [...]
Summary The Government of Canada recognizes that: All relations with Indigenous peoples need to be based on the recognition and implementation of their right to self-determination, including the inherent right of self-government. Reconciliation is a fundamental purpose of section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982. The honour of the Crown guides the conduct of the [...]
By: Zachary Miloff PDF Download Word Download On February 26, 2015, the British Columbia Court of Appeal (“the Court”) overturned a trial judge’s order that the Province of British Columbia (“the Province”) pay logging contractor Moulton Contracting Ltd. (“Moulton”) a sum of $1.75 million in damages for the Province’s failure to disclose Fort Nelson First [...]
