Description: In Canada and in most democracies, there is something called the "separation of powers." This means the three branches of government have jobs that only they can do. The legislature's job is to make laws, the court's job is to enforce them, and the job of the executive branch is to carry out the laws through government services and agencies. Some people think the courts sometimes go beyond their job when deciding Charter challenges. Should the courts be able to say a legislation protects a particular group it previously did not protect? Should a judge be able to require the government to report back to the court to show how it's complying with Charter rights? Some people think the way the Charter has been interpreted blurs the separation of powers by allowing Courts to make decisions about how to run Canada. Others say, if the courts are not given the power to make sure Charter rights are respected, our rights and freedoms are meaningless.

Tags:

canada

country

enforcement

executive branch

legislature

separation of power