Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
I extracted this from my article and I sent this as part of a longer message to every MPP in Ontario and every federal MP in Canada: https://canadianliberty.com/charter-and-economic-objections-to-covid-19-policies-improved-from-last-post/
Lets take a look at the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/const/page-12.html#h-40 What constitutional authority allows governments to shut down our economic means of survival – our ability to pay for housing and food so that we can live? Are these policies constitutional? These principles are legal facts. These are also morally and philosophically justified realities which many people are being led into a denial of through weak, one-sided arguments:
The Charter refers to a “guarantee of rights and freedoms.” Note the word “guarantee.”
“Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms:
“(a) freedom of conscience and religion;
“(b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication;
“(c) freedom of peaceful assembly; and
“(d) freedom of association.”
With “social distancing” and “self-isolating” measures, the government, major corporations and their media organizations are interfering with “freedom of peaceful assembly,” and “freedom of association” – and also with freedom of religion.
With their censorship efforts against alternative views, they are interfering with “freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication”.
Quoting from the “Mobility Rights” section of the Charter:
“(1) Every citizen of Canada has the right to enter, remain in and leave Canada.
“(2) Every citizen of Canada and every person who has the status of a permanent resident of Canada has the right
“(a) to move to and take up residence in any province; and
“(b) to pursue the gaining of a livelihood in any province.”
Note that the Charter guarantees the right to mobility, whether you agree with all of that or not. But, in spite of this, the government wants everyone–symptoms or not–to stay in their homes. But this has never been done before.
Note that the Charter guarantees the right to pursue the gaining of a livelihood in any province and yet the Premier of Ontario has shut down many businesses, and the Canadian Prime Minister tells people to stay home–never mind their economic needs.
Is the seriousness of this virus enough to justify a violation of these fundamental freedoms and these economic and mobility rights?
In fact, how many people are going to die or become seriously ill because they and their family members are not mobile and not able to act independently in their own economic interest?
And I also want to quote these reminders from the “Legal Rights” section as a response to whatever other policies are being considered:
“7. Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of the person and the right not to be deprived thereof except in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice.”
“8. Everyone has the right to be secure against unreasonable search or seizure.”
“9. Everyone has the right not to be arbitrarily detained or imprisoned.”
And that is just a few of a long list of very relevant and important legal rights.
Note that number 7 refers to the right to “security of the person.” In my opinion, this implies that a person has a right to be in charge of their life–to live securely enough without fear so that they are able to provide for themselves (and their families) and survive economically.
Most of us have to deal with serious problems in our lives (other than this virus) that require our ability to exercise a free conscience as to what is our highest priority day by day. Drowning out our ability to think straight and act freely by subverting our priorities to an anxiety-creating, monomaniacal and exaggerated message–which also threatens our freedoms and our economic well-being–is not a morally legitimate activity by governments, corporations and media.
Also read: https://canadianliberty.com/forsaken-principles-of-canadian-society/