Ligue des Droits et Libertes Questions the Role of Quebec's Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms

La Ligue des Droits et Libertés, a not-for-profit organization defending and promoting the universality, indivisibility and interdependence of human rights held a panel discussion for its 66th anniversary. The panel discussion, hosted on August 31st, focused on the performative role the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, its connection and role to current societal imbalance, and how it impacts current social fights.

To discuss the matter, La Ligue des Droits et Libertés invited four panelists: Me Pierre Bosset, a professor in Legal Sciences at the Universite du Quebec À Montreal, Me Rachel Chagnon, dean of the Faculty of Law and Politics at the Universite du Quebec A Montreal, M. Sipi Flamand, Chief of the Atikamekw of Manawan Council, and Me Lucie Lamarche, professor in Legal Sciences at the Universite de Quebec A Montreal.

The panelists were encouraged to answer three questions: 
1. What is the performative role of the many declarations found in the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, which are multiplying on a national, regional or international scale?
2. What do these declarations tell us about the type of society we live in?
3. What role do these declarations play in current social struggles in favor of human rights?

During the discussion, the four panelists, and the animator, Diane Lamoureux, a member of La Ligue des Droits et Libertes, highlighted the recent alarmed cries in regard to the right-wing movement getting more and more considerable size-wise. With more injustices and social issues on the rise, they highlighted that human rights cannot regress, and insisted that the commodification of life, as well as the endangerment of the future generations threaten this priority.

They went on to explain that there is an obligation when it comes to human rights and freedoms: ensure the exercise of human rights to all individuals and without any type of discrimination and to act in accordance to the maximum of resources available to progressively ensure the whole exercise of human rights and freedoms through all the appropriate means. This means the current order needs to be questioned by putting pressure on the governments to re-articulate its existence and role.