Human Rights in Canada

Reviews / Votes

Clement's book is a useful introductory tool that, accompanied by his online portal at HistoryofRights.ca, provides an important resource about something that can be so easily swept away. -- Matthew Behrens -- Quill and Quire, 20160201 In remarkably lucid prose, Dominique Clement reveals the evolution of Canada's rights culture from British conventions to post-Charter innovations, from civil liberties to human rights, from mere equality before the law to 'the most sophisticated human rights legal regime in the world.' Along the way, he reminds us that rights don't exist in the abstract, that they evolve within a culture as that culture evolves, that the rights revolution is far from complete, especially for Indigenous Canadians, and that in the end, 'human rights are, and always should be, a dialogue.' An invaluable book." - John Ibbitson, Writer at Large, The Globe and Mail -- John Ibbitson Dominique Clement takes us on an invaluable journey through history, law, politics and society, examining how those forces have embedded human rights at the heart of what it is to be Canadian. From the political rebellions of the 1830s, through to highly charged social change in the 1970s and ground-breaking Supreme Court rulings in 2015, there is hardly a crackdown, social movement or court ruling of human rights significance that is not woven into this remarkable account. He stresses throughout that Canada's rights culture has been a continuing evolution, reflected as much in ongoing social dialogue as it is in laws that have been passed. Understanding our unique national rights culture helps illuminate the past. It also importantly frames the human rights challenges and responsibilities that lie ahead. - Alex Neve, Secretary General, Amnesty International Canada (English Canada) -- Alex Neve, Amnesty International Canada (English Canada) Anyone interested in human rights in Canada should read this engaging book. Clement provides a thorough history of the topic, from the 18th-century conquest to contemporary debates on the meaning of human rights. Of particular note is his stress on Aboriginal rights, women's rights, rights of sexual minorities, human rights in Quebec, and human rights in Canadian foreign policy. A readable, comprehensive volume, Human Rights in Canada is especially suitable for classroom use. - Rhoda Howard-Hassmann, Canada Research Chair in International Human Rights; Professor, Department of Political Science, Wilfrid Laurier University, and Balsillie School of International Affairs -- Rhoda Howard-Hassmann Clement ... presents a history of how Canada developed "its own unique rights culture," shaped by the idea that "human rights are a sociological and historical phenomenon as well as a legal fact." ... [Human Rights in Canada: A History] will be an indispensable resource for anyone interested in the formation of modern Canada. -- Publishers Weekly, 20160321 Clement has rendered a great service to scholars and the general public in composing this account of the history of human rights in Canada for there is no doubt that human rights has been and remains at the centre of a deep transformation of the Canadian social order. -- Tom Mitchell -- Labour/Le travail 83