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Charter at 40 (Co-hosted with Runnymede Society)

Date: November 3, 2022

Time: 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM

Location: Burnet, Duckworth & Palmer LLP

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In Person

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms was signed on April 17, 1982. During this 40th anniversary year, join Cardus and the Runnymede Society as we convene a panel to discuss the impact of the Charter on fundamental freedoms in Canada. We will explore questions about judicial and parliamentary supremacy, the potential need for reform, and the opportunities that exist for defending fundamental freedoms in an increasingly pluralistic society.

Our panelists will share perspectives informed by their work, scholarship, and advocacy:

Rev. Dr. Andrew Bennett is Program Director, Faith Communities at Cardus. He holds a PhD in politics from the University of Edinburgh and degrees in history from McGill and Dalhousie universities. A champion of religious freedom domestically and internationally, he served as Canada’s first Ambassador for Religious Freedom and led Global Affairs Canada’s Office of Religious Freedom from 2013 to 2016. He works to promote religious freedom, freedom of conscience, and the importance of public faith to our common life.

Cara Zwibel is Director, Fundamental Freedoms Program at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. Cara was called to the Ontario bar in 2005. She has a political science degree from McGill and law degrees from Osgoode Hall Law School and New York University. Her work involves providing legal opinions and research, coordinating litigation and interventions, representing CCLA before the courts, preparing submissions to legislative bodies and assisting with the CCLET’s public education work.

Kristopher Kinsinger is National Director of the Runnymede Society and received his JD from Osgoode Hall Law School. He was called to the Ontario Bar in 2020, and received his LLM from McGill University in 2021. His research is focussed on fundamental freedoms, constitutional architecture, and Canadian legal history. His writing has appeared in periodicals such as The Supreme Court Law Review, Constitutional Forum, and the National Post.