Our Rights and Freedoms : A Biography of Canada’s Charter

The fascinating history of Canada’s Charter shows how it has forever changed the political, legal, and social lives of Canadians.

In Our Rights and Freedoms, Aaron W. Hughes recounts the complex and fascinating history of Canada’s Charter, revealing how it has forever changed the political, legal, and social lives of Canadians. Written for a general audience, this biography looks at Canada’s legal foundations prior to the Charter’s enactment in 1982, examines the historical origins and language of the Charter, and traces its reception, interpretation, and influence over the ensuing decades, including its global influence as a model for emerging democracies. The story of the Charter’s inspiration, creation, contestation, and adaptation recounts the narrative of a living text whose course has shaped and defined modern Canada, sometimes in unexpected ways. Informed by deep research and written with narrative flair, this book is the essential guide to understanding the document that defines what it means to be Canadian.