Canada/Fédérale

The Human Rights Glossary includes terminology related to human rights in the Canadian context. The glossary contains terms used by the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) and the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal (CHRT). Created in 1977 by Parliament, this tribunal is the only entity that may legally decide whether a person or organization has engaged in a discriminatory practice under the Canadian Human Rights Act. An administrative tribunal specializing in the field of human rights, the CHRT is similar to a court of law, but is less formal. In 1996, the Tribunal’s responsibilities were expanded to include the adjudication of complaints under the Employment Equity Act. According to the Act, the CHRT also operates as the Employment Equity Review Tribunal.

Created by the Centre for Public Legal Education Alberta and made available on LawCentral Schools, the first part of this narrated powerpoint focused on Canadian law presents information on how the legal structure of Canada is organized, the history of our laws and an explanation of the Rule of Law.   The second part discusses legislation including who makes it, how it is made and how it is enforced.  It discusses the 3 levels of government that make laws, with the laws being made according to each government's responsibilities. The last part of the presentation focuses on Common Law and what it is, how it is made and how it is enforced.

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