The Effects of the Canadian Charter of Rights on Criminal Justice

Abstract

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms enacted in 1982 set off a “constitutional revolution” with profound effects on criminal justice. A criminal lawyer who left the country in 1982 would find that the law has changed dramatically in less than two decades. A system based on legislative supremacy and judicial reluctance to exclude evidence because of unfairness outside of the courtroom has evolved into one based on judicial review and the judicial application of standards of due process or adjudicative fairness at all stages of the criminal process. The law reports and reviews are now dominated by Charter jurisprudence whereas previously they focused on common law, statutes and legislative law reform. American notions of Miranda warnings, warrant and disclosure requirements and the exclusion of unconstitutionally obtained evidence have taken root in Canadian law. This paper will outline some of the major changes brought about by the Charter.