Rights in Canada
In Canada, jurisdiction over human rights is shared between the federal and provincial governments. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees political and civil rights for Canadians, while forbidding discrimination. Provincially created human rights codes provide guarantees for citizens in that province and often a mechanism to fight human rights complaints. Some provinces have additional legislation for persons who need specific rights. For example, Manitoba’s Accessibility for Manitobans Act, Ontario’s Accessibility for Ontarians with Disability Act or Nova Scotia’s Act Respecting Accessibility in Nova Scotia gives special rights to persons with disabilities.
Internationally, there are codes and treaties to protect the rights of people. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations, set out, for the first time, a set of fundamental human rights that are universally protected.