The Canadian Bar Association is a national association regrouping 35,000 members across Canada. including 3,500 jurists judges, attorneys and notaries in Quebec. One of the mission of the CBA is to foster respect and understanding of the law through public education. An understanding of the law is fundamental to protecting and promoting the rights of all citizens in a free and democratic society.
The executive of the Quebec branch of the CBA has identified the secondary school as an environment in which it could assist in promoting legal knowledge. To this end, a partnership was struck between educators from three Montreal area school boards and Quebec jurists to develop a pilot project.
As the " tree from which all other laws are interpreted" the Canadian Constitution is a natural starting point for legal studies. To make it interesting for students who have little legal background, it was decided to introduce them to law by teaching individual rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms.
It is hoped that the secondary IV students for whom this program is prepared will develop both a greater interest and understanding in our legal system and though the mock trial with exercises, acquire the sense that oftentimes rights must be advocated to be protected.
The Quebec branch of the Canadian Bar Association wishes
to acknowledge the substantial contribution of the following persons without
whose efforts this project would not have been possible;
EDUCATORS
-Michael Carley, Program Coordinator, Baldwin Cartier
-Walter Baslik, Social Studies Consultant, Protestant
School Board of Greater Montreal
-Len Harney, Pedagogical Consultant-Social Studies.
Commission des Ecole Catholiques de Montreal
MEMBERS OF THE CANADIAN BAR ASSOCIATION:
-Me Louis Brousseau, McCarthy Tetrault, Montreal
-Me Sebastien Grammond, Byers Casgrain, Montreal
-M. Normand Laberge, Canadian Bar Association.Quebec
branch
-Me Chantal Masse, Chair Constitutional law section of
the CBA
-Me Mark G. Peacock, Addesky Poulin, Montreal President
of the Quebec branch of the Canadian Bar Association
-Me Jennifer Anne Stoddart, Quebec Human Rights Commission
-as well as Me Philippe R. De Massy of the Quebec Human
Rights Commission.
At present there are three activities:
1- Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms - Case Studies
Materials ready to print:
- Explanation and Organization of the Activity
-Case Study A - pre-charter bill of rights vs lord's day act
-Case Study B -search and seizure in schools
-Case Study C -presumption of innocence
-Case Study D -charter vs lord's day act
-Copy of Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
2- Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms- Test Your Knowledge
Materials ready to print:
-Questionnaire "Test your knowledge"
Materials ready to print:
- Explanation and Organization of the Activity