29:
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Joseph Power was convicted of two offences of sexual assault and sentenced to prison. After being dismissed from his job at a New
Brunswick hospital when his criminal record came to light, he applied for a pardon (now known as a record suspension). His application was refused under the
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The Crown, in its executive capacity, can be held liable in damages for
Parliament enacting a bill into law, which is later deemed to be unconstitutional by a court, as well as for government officials and ministers acting in a legislative capacity in preparing and drafting the
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Kasirer and Jamal JJ would have held that the Crown enjoys absolute immunity for ministers and officials preparing and drafting a bill which is later found to be unconstitutional, but that damages are available for the legislature enacting such legislation.
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Legal scholar Kerry Sun described the Court's judgment as exhibiting "a striking misapprehension of Canada’s constitutional architecture" and commented that the decision was "perhaps one of the
Supreme Court’s most expensive mistakes in recent history".
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on the Crown's immunity for an action arising out of a legislature's enactment of legislation that is later found to be unconstitutional by a court. The decision has been widely criticized as undermining Canada's constitutional order and system of
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law professor Stéphane Sérafin called the judgment "shocking", writing that the
Supreme Court "effectively granted itself ultimate authority over the legislative process in this country". Philippe Lagassé, an expert on the Crown and the
307:, went against the principle that one part of the Constitution shouldn’t invalidate another, and dissolved the essential distinction made between the Crown’s capacities and those of legislative and executive offices".
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Legal commentator and lawyer Asher
Honickman wrote the decision "subverts" the core constitutional principles of parliamentary privilege and parliamentary sovereignty.
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damages for preparing legislation that is later struck down by the courts, as well as for
Parliament enacting legislation which is later struck down by the courts.
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In a 5-2-2 decision, the
Supreme Court of Canada held that the executive government could be held liable for
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because of the nature of his crimes. The Act's transitional provisions were later struck down by the courts.
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411:"Asher Honickman: The Supreme Court is trying to radically rewrite Canada's constitutional order"
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390:"Kerry Sun: The Supreme Court's latest unprincipled assault on parliamentary democracy"
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Côté and Rowe JJ would have held that damages are available in neither situation.
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Limiting
Pardons for Serious Crimes Act and the Safe Streets and Communities Act
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was "all rather disconcerting" and "went against rulings as recent as 2018 in
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344:"Stéphane Sérafin: Legal activists put the 'notwithstanding clause' at risk"
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The
Supreme Court's decision has been extensively criticized.
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54:Attorney General of Canada v. Joseph Power
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246:Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
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299:, wrote that the majority judgment in
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342:Sérafin, Stéphane (July 24, 2024).
330:SCC Case Information - Docket 40241
221:Westminster parliamentary democracy
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409:Honickman, Asher (July 31, 2024).
207:Canada (Attorney General) v. Power
22:Canada (Attorney General) v. Power
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363:Lagassé, Philippe (2024-07-19).
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434:Supreme Court of Canada cases
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239:Power sued for damages under
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388:Sun, Kerry (July 19, 2024).
16:Supreme Court of Canada case
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365:"More Power to the courts"
253:, being Schedule B to the
214:is a 2024 decision of the
43:Hearing: December 7, 2023
439:2024 in Canadian case law
369:In Defence of Westminster
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332:Supreme Court of Canada
216:Supreme Court of Canada
108:Andromache Karakatsanis
45:Judgment: July 19, 2024
35:Supreme Court of Canada
288:University of Ottawa
297:Carleton University
132:Michelle O'Bonsawin
293:Westminster system
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155:Karakatsanis
128:Mahmud Jamal
116:Malcolm Rowe
112:Suzanne Côté
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212:2024 SCC 26
136:Mary Moreau
65:2024 SCC 26
428:Categories
374:2024-08-04
318:References
282:Commentary
227:Background
163:O'Bonsawin
70:Docket No.
61:Citations
263:Decision
147:Majority
415:The Hub
305:Mikisew
269:Charter
243:of the
210:,
189:Dissent
182:Kasirer
153:CJ and
78:Holding
167:Moreau
165:, and
159:Martin
151:Wagner
73:40241
301:Power
178:Jamal
84:bill.
197:Côté
193:Rowe
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169:JJ
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184:J
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