povertyandhumanrights.org » economic rights http://povertyandhumanrights.org Wed, 07 Apr 2010 23:39:27 +0000 en hourly 1 Victoria (City) v. Adams: Advancing the Right to Shelter http://povertyandhumanrights.org/2009/04/new-lawsheet-victoria-city-v-adams-advancing-the-right-to-shelter/ http://povertyandhumanrights.org/2009/04/new-lawsheet-victoria-city-v-adams-advancing-the-right-to-shelter/#comments Sat, 11 Apr 2009 19:34:55 +0000 phrc http://povertyandhumanrights.org/wp/?p=55 Victoria (City) v. Adams: Advancing the Right to Shelter is an important new B.C. case about social and economic rights. The issue in this case is whether a City bylaw which required homeless people to remove tents and any overhead protection, while sleeping in Cridge Park, violated their right to life, liberty and security of the person. This is a key case in the development of protections for poor and homeless people in Canada.

The new law sheet describes the issues in the case and the role that international human rights law has played. Victoria (City) v. Adams: Advancing the Right to Shelter is the latest in a series of law sheets produced by the Poverty and Human Rights Centre that are focused on the domestic enforcement of social and economic rights. The law sheets are intended to assist lawyers, front line advocates, and non-governmental organizations who rely on the human rights framework in their advocacy before tribunals and courts, to assist members of vulnerable groups.

Victoria (City) v. Adams: Advancing the Right to Shelter (PDF)

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]]> http://povertyandhumanrights.org/2009/04/new-lawsheet-victoria-city-v-adams-advancing-the-right-to-shelter/feed/ 0 The Role of International Social and Economic Rights in the Interpretation of Domestic Law in Canada http://povertyandhumanrights.org/2008/02/the-role-of-international-social-and-economic-rights-in-the-interpretation-of-domestic-law-in-canada/ http://povertyandhumanrights.org/2008/02/the-role-of-international-social-and-economic-rights-in-the-interpretation-of-domestic-law-in-canada/#comments Fri, 01 Feb 2008 19:47:37 +0000 phrc http://povertyandhumanrights.org/wp/?p=61 This Law Sheet, produced by the Poverty and Human Rights Centre, is concerned with the role that international human rights law can play in the interpretation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and other laws in Canada. It is intended to assist lawyers in their advocacy work before courts and tribunals. It is also intended to assist non-governmental organizations who rely on the human rights framework in their work to assist members of vulnerable groups. It is specifically focused on the domestic enforcement of social and economic rights.

For the United Nations human rights treaties there are two levels of adjudication and enforcement. First, United Nations treaty bodies review the compliance of countries that have ratified the treaties and receive and adjudicate petitions or complaints under the treaty.  Secondly, within Canada, courts and tribunals provide another avenue for adjudication and enforcement of Canada’s obligations under international human rights law. this Law Sheet is focused on the second level. It explores how to use international human rights law in Canadian courts and tribunals.

The Role of International Social and Economic Rights in the Interpretation of Domestic Law in Canada (PDF)

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]]> http://povertyandhumanrights.org/2008/02/the-role-of-international-social-and-economic-rights-in-the-interpretation-of-domestic-law-in-canada/feed/ 0 B.C. CEDAW Report: British Columbia Moves Backwards on Women’s Equality http://povertyandhumanrights.org/2003/01/b-c-cedaw-report-british-columbia-moves-backwards-on-women%ef%bf%bds-equality-prepared-by-the-poverty-and-human-rights-project-for-12-womens-and-anti-poverty-organizations-in-british-columbia-ja/ http://povertyandhumanrights.org/2003/01/b-c-cedaw-report-british-columbia-moves-backwards-on-women%ef%bf%bds-equality-prepared-by-the-poverty-and-human-rights-project-for-12-womens-and-anti-poverty-organizations-in-british-columbia-ja/#comments Thu, 23 Jan 2003 04:25:24 +0000 phrc http://povertyandhumanrights.org/?p=251 B.C. CEDAW Report: British Columbia Moves Backwards on Women’s Equality, prepared by the Poverty and Human Rights Project for 12 women’s and anti-poverty organizations in British Columbia, submitted to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women on the occasion of the review of Canada’s 5th report on its compliance with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

B.C. CEDAW Report: British Columbia Moves Backwards on Women’s Equality, prepared by the Poverty and Human Rights Project for 12 women’s and anti-poverty organizations in British Columbia (January 2003)

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]]> http://povertyandhumanrights.org/2003/01/b-c-cedaw-report-british-columbia-moves-backwards-on-women%ef%bf%bds-equality-prepared-by-the-poverty-and-human-rights-project-for-12-womens-and-anti-poverty-organizations-in-british-columbia-ja/feed/ 0 Beyond the Social and Economic Rights Debate: Substantive Equality Speaks to Poverty (2002) http://povertyandhumanrights.org/2002/08/beyond-the-social-and-economic-rights-debate-substantive-equality-speaks-to-poverty-2002/ http://povertyandhumanrights.org/2002/08/beyond-the-social-and-economic-rights-debate-substantive-equality-speaks-to-poverty-2002/#comments Thu, 01 Aug 2002 15:54:33 +0000 phrc http://povertyandhumanrights.org/wp/?p=89 An emerging issue in Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms1 jurisprudence is the defeat of poverty-related challenges based on their characterization as ‘social and economic’ rights claims. In a variety of cases, governments have argued, with some success in lower courts, that the Charter is a negative rights instrument—a document of civil and political rights rather than of social and economic rights— which does not impose positive obligations on governments to assume a redistributive role. Tension about this issue is increasing as governments in Canada pursue cost-cutting agendas that diminish protections from poverty, and people are turning to the courts because they have no place else to go.

Beyond the Social and Economic Rights Debate: Substantive Equality Speaks to Poverty (2002)

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]]> http://povertyandhumanrights.org/2002/08/beyond-the-social-and-economic-rights-debate-substantive-equality-speaks-to-poverty-2002/feed/ 0 Recommendations to Heritage Canada regarding information that should be included in Canada’s 4th report to the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (October 2001) http://povertyandhumanrights.org/2001/10/recommendations-to-heritage-canada-regarding-information-that-should-be-included-in-canadas-4th-report-to-the-committee-on-economic-social-and-cultural-rights-october-2001/ http://povertyandhumanrights.org/2001/10/recommendations-to-heritage-canada-regarding-information-that-should-be-included-in-canadas-4th-report-to-the-committee-on-economic-social-and-cultural-rights-october-2001/#comments Thu, 25 Oct 2001 04:01:55 +0000 phrc http://povertyandhumanrights.org/?p=218 A letter from the Poverty and Human Rights Project to Heritage Canada on four issues which are of critical importance to the overall approach taken by Canada as a State Party to the implementation of economic and social rights in response to a request for input from non-governmental organizations into Canada’s fourth report on its compliance with the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

input from non-governmental
organizations into Canada’s fourth report on its compliance with the International
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

Recommendations to Heritage Canada regarding information that should be included in Canada’s 4th report to the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (October 2001)

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