Marriage in Canada-Evolution or Revolution

On July 20, 2005, the Canadian Civil Marriage Act became law, extending equal access to civil marriage to same-sex couples while respecting religious freedom. This article briefly traces the distinctive juridical factors that have contributed to the legislation: the constitutional comity or dialogue among Parliament, the courts and the people resulting from the constitutional entrenchment of a Charter of rights and freedoms; the growth of the substantive concept of equality in Canadian law; and the impact of the constitutional division of powers and the nature of Canadian federalism. Together, these factors contributed to a constructive debate centered on respect for diversity

Charter · Comity · Constitution · Constitutional law · Constructive · Federalism · Jurisdiction · Legislation · Parliament · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Judicial and Constitutional Studies · Law · Legal Systems and Judicial Processes · Multicultural Socio-Legal Studies