Universal human rights
Everyone in the world is entitled to the same fundamental human rights. In fact, there are 30 of them [1.41 MB]. They are the universal human rights that we, as citizens of this world, have agreed we are all entitled to. They include the right to live free from torture, the right to live free from slavery, the right to own property, and the right to equality and dignity, and to live free from all forms of discrimination.
Human rights describe how we instinctively expect to be treated as persons.
Human rights define what we are all entitled to: a life of equality, dignity, respect, and a life free from discrimination.
You do not have to earn your human rights. You are born with them. They are the same for every person.
Nobody can give them to you. But they can be taken away.
Countries have human rights laws to make sure that people and governments are held accountable if your human rights are not respected. In Canada, your human rights are protected by provincial, territorial, federal and international laws.
Human rights in Canada
In Canada, human rights are protected by federal, provincial and territorial laws. Canada's human rights laws stem from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In 1948, John Humphrey, a Canadian lawyer and scholar, played a significant role in writing the Declaration. When it was complete, the Declaration provided a list of 30 articles outlining everyone's universal human rights. The first two articles are about equality and freedom from discrimination, the foundation of the Canadian Human Rights Act.
The Canadian Human Rights Act of 1977 protects people in Canada from discrimination when they are employed by or receive services from the federal government, First Nations governments or private companies that are regulated by the federal government such as banks, trucking companies, broadcasters and telecommunications companies. People can turn to the Canadian Human Rights Act to protect themselves against harassment or discrimination when it is based on one or more grounds of discrimination such as race, age and sexual orientation.
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms of 1982 is part of Canada's Constitution. The Charter protects every Canadian's right to be treated equally under the law. The Charter guarantees broad equality rights and other fundamental rights such as the freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and freedom of religion. It only applies to governments, and not to private individuals, businesses or other organizations. This means that for the most part, a person cannot mount a Charter challenge against a private business, a private organization, or a person who is not acting on behalf of the government. The Charter also protects the rights of all Canadians from infringements by laws, policies or actions of governments, including authorities such as the police.
Human rights in our provinces
Provincial and territorial human rights laws share many similarities with the Canadian Human Rights Act and apply many of the same principles. They protect people from discrimination in areas such as restaurants, stores, schools, housing, healthcare, and other non-federal workplaces.