Why a challenge?

The Charter guarantees our right to vote and our right to equal treatment. It's up to the Supreme Court to decide when this principle has been violated. 

Prior to serving in her role as the Chief Justice for Canada's Supreme Court, Justice Beverley McLachlin ruled that our right to vote means that we have to be effectively represented:

“Each citizen is entitled to be represented in government. Representation comprehends the idea of having a voice in the deliberations of government”.  

- Justice Beverley McLachlin

That’s each of us, not just some of us. That principle has been upheld in several cases throughout Canadian elections. 

The court has also said that voters should be treated equally, but when only half of us have an MP we support, the system is discriminatory and excludes those voices.

Constitutional lawyers have advised us that we have a worthwhile case to make against our current voting system on these grounds.

Why not change the system through political channels? 

Governments of various stripes have supported electoral reform while in opposition, and on the campaign trail only to back away from the promise of reform once elected.

The present government and parliament have decided not to proceed with electoral reform. It could be years, or decades, and several elections, before electoral reform becomes a possibility again. Democratic rights are human rights. It's the Supreme Court's job to ensure that those rights are protected when parliament neglects to protect them. 


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Current Status:

- Court date is confirmed! The case will be heard September 25 - 27, 2023.

- The case was filed with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice on October 2019.

- Served government with affidavit and evidence package in May 2021.

- Government affidavits received in late Fall 2022.
 

How you can help

The main way you can help is to support the case financially. We need to raise another $25,000 to cover the costs of presenting our case in court. You can support the case for as little as a dollar a month.

What to expect

- Fall 2022 - Once evidence and a response from the government is received, Charter Challenge lawyer, Nicolas Rouleau will start preparing for cross-examination and response affidavits.

- Spring 2023 - Once we have received the government’s evidence and replied to it, Charter Challenge lawyer, Nicolas Rouleau, will draft the factum

- At each step, we set a goal based on our estimate of the costs, and ask supporters to contribute to help us reach that goal, and to ensure the case can continue to move forward.