An introduction to Canadian law should be a compulsory high school credit in every province. In the past, I would have said it’s important for kids growing up to understand their basic rights, especially if they’re ever confronted by police.
But now it seems like we need to make sure someone who aspires to be the head of government has taken some Law 101 before they assume such a position. Like Alberta’s Danielle Smith, who recently suggested her provincial government would not provide supplemental administrative funding for Alberta’s justice system unless Prime Minister Mark Carney and the federal government gives Alberta more of a say in who will be appointed as judges.
The quote from her letter to the PM:
“Providing Alberta with a formal and meaningful role in the appointment process would strengthen public confidence in the administration of justice, promote national unity within Alberta and help ensure judicial decision-making reflects the values and expectations of Albertans.”
That’s idiotic obviously. The justice system isn’t here to promote national unity and reflect the values of a particular province differently from another province. If Smith took that Canadian law class in high school, she’d know about how the three branches of the government (one being the judicial branch) are checks and balances against each other. She would know that courts can mostly only interpret what’s been given to them. She would know that they strike down her legislation because it sucks (i.e. unconstitutional). And she would know that she can pass new legislation that complies with the Constitution.
She doesn’t seem to know all that so I can only assume she never took that class. It’s optional after all. Instead, she was taught a lesson by Alberta’s chief justices.
But she does know that she can use something called the notwithstanding clause to create laws that override the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, since she did it four times in a matter of two weeks.
So, maybe she’s not entirely stupid.
That might make all this worse. To know exactly how the justice system works but then create grievances and stupid demands that a misinformed and misled public would fall for is disgusting. I’d even call it offensive.
That’s why Canadian law has to be a mandatory high school class. We can’t be ignorant about how a massive, intrusive institution impacts our lives. We need to know how it works so we can function properly within it. Or improve the parts that are malfunctioning. We need to know what the different levels of government are allowed to do or not do. We need to know how to protect and advocate for ourselves. And we can’t let the privileged few take advantage of our collective ignorance.
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