Indigenous, Indian, and Aboriginal Law Commons^™

The Ipperwash Inquiry - Symposium On Government/Police Relations: Legal Sites Of Executive-Police Relations: Core Principles In A Canadian Context, Dianne L. Martin

Conferences and Workshops

This chapter provides an overview of the multiple sites where the governance of police in a democratic society is negotiated, with examples and solutions drawn from policy documents, public inquiries, legislation, and case law. Multiple factors bear on the ways that this intricately structured legal relationship is worked out in day-to-day situations, including political, institutional and legal influences. Bearing in mind the political and institutional contexts, this chapter examine the legal instruments and institutions that both structure the relationship and are part of resolving the inevitable conflicts that arise between these two very general concepts. The central argument is that …

The Ipperwash Inquiry - Symposium On Government/Police Relations: The Oversight Of Executive Police Relations In Canada: The Constitution, The Courts, Administrative Processes And Democratic Governance, Lorne Sossin

Conferences and Workshops

This chapter critically examines two central questions. First, what are the mechanisms which constrain and define executive accountability and police oversight in Canada? Second, can the need for the police to remain above partisan politics and beyond manipulation by the government of the day be reconciled with these mechanisms of governance and accountability? Sossin argues that an apolitical and autonomous model is best suited to the dynamics of policing in a constitutional democracy such as Canada, and has the potential to balance the need for political input into policing while countering inappropriate political interference in policing.

The executive-police relationship is …

The Ipperwash Inquiry - Symposium On Government/Police Relations: The Idea Of The Political "Independence" Of The Police: International Interpretations And Experiences, Philip Stenning

Conferences and Workshops

This chapter serves to clarify some of the key concepts. By graphically illustrating the relationship between degrees of ‘control’ and degrees of accountability it is argued that the two concepts are not incompatible. The term independence is then used in the chapter to refer only to decision-making that falls in what is pictured as the fourth quadrant: ‘full accountability’ with ‘no control’. The chapter then outlines the scope or range of the potentially ‘independent’ decision-making tasks.

Stenning discusses the growth of the ‘doctrine of police independence’. It is argued that what we might assume is a widely held value favouring …

The Ipperwash Inquiry - Symposium On Government/Police Relations: Memorandum Re June 28-29, 2004 Symposium

Conferences and Workshops

No abstract provided.

The Vulnerability Of Indigenous Land Rights In Australia And Canada, Kent Mcneil

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

Not until the 1990s did the highest courts in Australia and Canada begin to address the colonial reality of the dispossession of the Indigenous peoples. In Australia, the High Court has held that the taking of Indigenous lands and creation of third party rights by the Crown resulted in extinguishment of Native title. In Canada, while not dealing directly with the issue of extinguishment, the Supreme Court has authorized infringement of Aboriginal land rights for a variety of purposes, including the creation of third party rights. This article examines the legal justifications for these conclusions and finds that they are …

Continuity Of Aboriginal Rights, Kent Mcneil

Articles & Book Chapters

In this chapter from Advancing Aboriginal Claims: Visions, Strategies, Directions, Kent McNeil discusses the Van der Peet and Delgamuukw decisions in the context of the continuity of Aboriginal Rights. His essential question concerns how essential proof of continuity is for establishing Aboriginal rights: is it necessary in all cases, or only in cases concerning specific traditions, or occupation of land, subsequent to European contact or sovereignty?

When The Law Breaks Down: Aboriginal Peoples In Canada And Governmental Defiance Of The Rule Of Law, Andrew J. Orkin

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

Comments on Aboriginal peoples, governmental defiance, and the breakdown of law and the balance between law's roles and limits.

Self-Government And The Inalienability Of Aboriginal Title, Kent Mcneil

Articles & Book Chapters

Aboriginal title to land, as defined by the courts, has a number of sui generis aspects. Prominent among these is its inalienability, other than by surrender to the Crown. Two explanations are usually given for this: the need to protect Aboriginal peoples from exploitation by unscrupulous European settlers, and the incapacity of the settlers to obtain title to land otherwise than by Crown grant. While acknowledging that the need for protection of Aboriginal lands was important historically, this article argues that it is paternalistic to rely on this explanation for inalienability today. The incapacity of settlers is a more satisfactory …

Aboriginal Peoples And Mandatory Sentencing, Larry N. Chartrand

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

The author examines the impact of mandatory minimum sentencing on Aboriginal peoples in Canada. Emphasis is placed on the recently enacted mandatory minimum sentencing provisions for firearms offenses. The author argues that the enactment of such provisions are inconsistent with Parliament's objectives as reflected in section 718.2(e) of the Criminal Code which requires sentencing judges to pay "particular attention to the circumstances of Aboriginal offenders." In addition, the author explores preliminary arguments to support a finding that mandatory minimum sentences applied to Aboriginal offenders violate sections 12 and 15 of the Charter.

The Nullification Of Section 718.2(E): Aggravating Aboriginal Over-Representation In Canadian Prisons, Renee Pelletier

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

This article considers the disproportionate incarceration rate of Aboriginal offenders in Canadian prisons and the effectiveness of Parliament's attempts at alleviating this problem through the enactment of section 718.2(e) of the Criminal Code. This article focuses primarily on two recent Supreme Court of Canada decisions-R. v. Gladue and R. v. Wells. It is argued that the Court's narrow view of systemic factors, the Imitation it places on section 718.2(e) through its discussion of serious offences, as well as a number of practical problems inherent in the framework provided by the Court, strip the provision of its remedial intent. The article …

Aboriginal Rights In Transition: Reassessing Aboriginal Title And Governance, Kent Mcneil

Articles & Book Chapters

In a series of important decisions, the Court has come to grips with a number of issues that it did its best to avoid in the past, involving the identification and definition of Aboriginal rights, the content of Aboriginal title to land and the requirements for proving it, and the relevance of the law of New France to Aboriginal rights today. This paper will focus on these recent developments in the law, as well as attempting to identify areas where the law of Aboriginal rights is incomplete and so requires further judicial elucidation.

Listening For A Change: The Courts And Oral Tradition, John Borrows

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

Aboriginal oral history is a valuable source of information about a people's past. It can constitute important evidence as proof of prior events, and/or it can shed light on meanings groups give to their past. Despite its value, however, oral tradition presents particular challenges of admissibility and interpretation because of its unique source and transmission. This article outlines and discuses these challenges and suggests various approaches to better understand the insights contained within aboriginal history.

Race And The Australian Constitution: From Federation To Reconciliation, George Williams

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

The framing of the Australian Constitution initiated a pattern of discrimination against Australia's Indigenous peoples. They were cast as outsiders to the nation brought about in 1901. This pattern was broken in 1967 by the deletion of the discriminatory provisions from the Constitution. Today, there is strong community support in Australia for the reconciliation process, which would involve recognition of Indigenous peoples as an integral and unique component of the Australian nation. However, this has yet to be translated into substantive legal outcomes. The author analyses the interaction of issues of race and the Australian Constitution as it has affected …

The Nature Of Aboriginal Title, Brian Slattery

Articles & Book Chapters

The concept of Aboriginal title is an autonomous concept of Canadian common law that bridges the gulf between Indigenous land systems and imported European land systems. It does not stem from Indigenous customary law, English common law or French civil law. It coordinates the interaction between these systems without forming part of them. In effect, it is a form of inter-societal common law.

Making Sense Of Aboriginal And Treaty Rights, Brian Slattery

Articles & Book Chapters

This paper proposes a basic framework for understanding the decisions of the Supreme Court of Canada relating to aboriginal and treaty rights. It argues that the foundations of these rights lie in the common law doctrine of aboriginal rights, which originated in ancient custom generated by historical relations between the Crown and indigenous peoples, as informed by basic principles of justice. This sui generis doctrine is par t of the common law of Canada and operates uniformly across the country, it also provides the context for interpreting section 35(1) of the Constitution Act, 1982. The doctrine of aboriginal rights has …

From Consultation To Reconciliation: Aboriginal Rights And The Crown’S Duty To Consult, Sonia Lawrence, Patrick Macklem

Articles & Book Chapters

The judiciary has repeatedly called on First Nations and the Crown not to tax the institutional competence of the judiciary by excessive litigation of disputes, and instead to attempt to reach negotiated settlements . It has also held that the Crown is under a duty to consult with a First Nation when it proposes to engage in an action that threatens to interfere with existing Aboriginal or treaty rights recognized and affirmed by s. 35(1) of the Constitution Act, 1982. In this Article, the authors argue that the duty to consult requires the Crown, in most cases, to make good …

Left Out In The Cold: The Problem With Aboriginal Title Under Section 35(1) Of The Constitution Act, 1982 For Historically Nomadic Aboriginal Peoples, Brian J. Burke

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

In R. v. Adams and Delgamuukw v. British Columbia, the Supreme Court of Canada made statements to the effect that certain historically nomadic Aboriginal groups may be unable to make out a claim for Aboriginal title under section 35(1) of the Constitution Act, 1982. In light of the anthropological evidence relating to the close connection some of these groups enjoyed with the lands they occupied, a serious injustice may arise if these groups are indeed barred from an Aboriginal title claim. The author attempts to correct this potential injustice by demonstrating that at least some of these historically nomadic groups …

L'Intégration Des Valeurs Et Des Intérêts Autochtones Dans Le Discours Judiciaire Et Normatif Canadien, Andrée Lajoie, Eric Gélineau, Isabelle Duplessis, Guy Rocher

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

This article aims to define the degree to which values presented by groups representing Aboriginal interests in the Supreme Court of Canada have been integrated into the discourse of the Court and the decisions of political actors in Canada. The authors' analysis confirms the hypothesis that the Court, in contrast to its favourable treatment of private claims made by social minorities, is less receptive to the claims made by Aboriginals, a political minority whose claims are centered on political power and territory, issues that have been relegated to political negotiations. The significant difference between judicial and political decisionmakers concerning Aboriginal …

Aboriginal Forestry: Community Management As Opportunity And Imperative, Deborah Curran, Michael M'Gonigle

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

In recognition that forests are one of their greatest resources, Aboriginal peoples are considering how altered tenure arrangements might uphold traditional values, including ecological integrity, while providing economic and employment opportunities. However, the federal and provincial forest management structures have historically precluded First Nations from helping to define, and participate in, the forest industry. The authors explore the legal and regulatory basis of forest management in Canada, and assess how it facilitates or impedes Aboriginal management of traditional areas. This is done through a legislative and policy analysis, and through the use of case studies from across Canada. The authors …

The Onus Of Proof Of Aboriginal Title, Kent Mcneil

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

In the Delgamuukw decision, the Supreme Court of Canada clearly placed the onus on the Aboriginal nations to prove their title by showing occupation of lands at the time the Crown asserted sovereignty. In this article, it is argued that the common law could assist them in this respect. They should be able to rely on present or past possession to raise a presumption of Aboriginal title, and so shift the burden onto the Crown to prove its own title. Moreover, Aboriginal nations may be more successful if they bring an action for trespass or for recovery of possession of …

Sovereignty's Alchemy: An Analysis Of Delgamuukw V. British Columbia, John Borrows

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

In Delgamuukw v. British Columbia, the Supreme Court of Canada issued its long-awaited judgment on the status of Aboriginal title under section 35(1) of the Constitution Act, 1982. The decision was regarded as highly significant because it seemed to fundamentally alter the law of Aboriginal rights. This article suggests that while the case has somewhat positively changed the law to protect Aboriginal title, it has also simultaneously sustained a legal framework that undermines Aboriginal land rights. In particular, the decision's unreflective acceptance of Crown sovereignty places Aboriginal title in a subordinate position relative to other legal rights. This article examines …

Aboriginal Rights, Aboriginal Culture, And Protection, Gordon Christie

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

There is a common perception that elements of mainstream society are disrespectful of Aboriginal culture. This article argues that developments in the law offer promise for the protection of Aboriginal "intellectual products," manifestations of Aboriginal culture reflecting their world-view. What Aboriginal peoples would like to see protected, however, are not so much words, pictures, or acts but rather the values, beliefs, and principles that give these meaning. Such, the author argues, are best protected by mechanisms internal to Aboriginal communities. Furthermore, the lack of such mechanisms would not justify the intrusion of Canadian law, but rather raises a call within …

Defining Aboriginal Title In The 90'S: Has The Supreme Court Finally Got It Right?, Kent Mcneil

Books

The arrival of Europeans in North America had a profound impact on the Aboriginal peoples who had been living here for thousands of years. Virtually everything changed: unfamiliar diseases like smallpox ravished the population; the fur trade and European settlement and resource use decimated the wildlife; new technology such as firearms altered Aboriginal economies and tribal relations; Christian evangelism affected spiritual beliefs and values; European imposition of sovereignty and governmental structures weakened, and in some cases replaced, Aboriginal forms of government; and so on. But more than anything else, the taking of Aboriginal lands by Europeans has probably had the …

Aboriginal Lands And Resources: An Assessment Of The Royal Commission's Recommendations, Kent Mcneil

Articles & Book Chapters

The Aboriginal peoples have been living on the land in what is now Canada and deriving their livelihood from its natural resources for thousands of years. Elder Alex Stead, at a public hearing held by the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (RCAP) in Winnipeg on April 22, 1992, put it this way: "We are so close to the land. This is my body when you see this mother earth, because I live by it. Without that water, we dry up, we die. Without food from the animals, we die, because we got to live on that. That's why I call …

Aboriginal Rights In Canada In 1996: An Overview Of The Decision Of The Supreme Court Of Canada, Kent Mcneil

Articles & Book Chapters

Measured by judicial decisions, 1996 was by far the most significant year for Aboriginal rights in Canada since 1990, when the Supreme Court of Canada, in R v Sparrow, first examined the effect of recognition and affirmation of Aboriginal and treaty rights in section 35(1) of the Constitution Act 1982. The Sparrow decision acknowledged that section 35(1) provides unextinguished Aboriginal rights with constitutional protection against legislative infringement, unless the infringement can be justified by a strict test, outlined below, which the Supreme Court created. However, that decision did not address the vital question of how Aboriginal rights are …

Aboriginal Nations And The Canadian Nation, Shin Imai

Articles & Book Chapters

In the winter of 1763, Nipissing and Algonquin messengers were dispatched across Indian country. They carried strings of wampum and spread word of an important conference to be held at Niagara Falls. Two thousand chiefs gathered the next summer. There were Mic Mac from the east coast, Cree from the north, Iroquois from Lake Ontario, Lakota from the west—twenty-four nations in all. They were met by William Johnson, Superintendent of Indian Affairs, who presented wampum belts and gifts to negotiate a peace between the British and the First Nations.

What's Law Got To Do With It?: The Protection Of Aboriginal Title In Canada, Patrick Macklem

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

This essay presents and contrasts two narratives on the past and future of the law of Aboriginal title. The first narrative, drawn from the Final Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, grounds the law of Aboriginal title in inter-societal norms that enabled the mutual coexistence of colonists and settlers in North America. It locates Aboriginal territorial dispossession in colonial policies and practices that failed to conform to the spirit of mutual coexistence, and calls on governments to provide Aboriginal people with lands and resources necessary for self-sufficiency. The counter-narrative describes the law of Aboriginal title as a relatively …

Aboriginal Governments And The Canadian Charter Of Rights And Freedoms, Kent Mcneil

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

Starting with the premise that the Aboriginal peoples of Canada have an inherent right of self-government which is constitutionally protected, this article analyzes the issue of whether Aboriginal governments exercising that right are subject to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. This issue is examined from a legal perspective based on textual analysis and common law principles. It is concluded that, as a matter of Canadian constitutional law, with the exception of the section 28 gender equality provision, the Charter does not apply to Aboriginal governments. This avoids imposition of the Charter generally on these governments by judicial decree, …

The Organic Constitution: Aboriginal Peoples And The Evolution Of Canada, Brian Slattery

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

Despite recent advances in the law of aboriginal rights, most Canadian lawyers still tacitly view the Constitution as the outgrowth of European legal traditions, transplanted into North America. This article identifies the main features of this model of the Constitution and proposes a more appropriate model to replace it, one that recognizes the Constitution's deep roots in Canadian history and traditions, and acknowledges the distinctive contributions of Aboriginal peoples and their long-standing relations with the Crown.

Relations Of Force And Relations Of Justice: The Emergence Of Normative Community Between Colonists And Aboriginal Peoples, Jeremy Webber

Osgoode Hall Law Journal

This paper argues that Aboriginal rights are best understood as the product of cross-cultural interaction-not, as is usually supposed, the result of some antecedent body of law (English, international, or Aboriginal). Aboriginal rights are therefore intercommunal in origin. The paper does describe the process by which this body of law emerged, but its primary vocation is theoretical, concerned with the following questions: How can a normative community emerge in the presence of profound cultural divisions? How can relations of justice emerge in a context dominated by power and coercion? How does moral reasoning draw upon the factual relations of the …