Environmental Discrimination and the Charter’s Equality Guarantee: The Case of Drinking Water for First Nations Living on Reserves

• Published in: Revue générale de droit
• Main Author: Nathalie J. Chalifour
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Consortium Erudit 2014
• Subjects: Sciences Humaines et Sociales; Social Sciences and Humanities; First Nations; drinking water; equality; Charter; environmental discrimination; s 15(1); Premières Nations; eau potable; égalité; Charte; discrimination environnementale; art 15(1); droit; scipo; Canada
• Online Access: http://www.erudit.org/fr/revues/rgd/2013-v43-rgd01063/1021214ar.pdf; https://www.erudit.org/fr/revues/rgd/2013-v43-rgd01063/1021214ar.pdf; https://doi.org/10.7202/1021214ar; http://www.erudit.org/fr/revues/rgd/2013-v43-rgd01063/1021214ar/; https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=4617337; https://academic.microsoft.com/#/detail/3121942589; https://id.erudit.org/iderudit/1021214ar

Many First Nations communities living on reserves in Canada do not have consistent access to one of the most essential requirements for life—clean and safe drinking water. This article analyses the Charter’s equality guarantee to determine whether it offers a remedy. The analysis shows that the experience of First Nations communities living on reserve without access to clean water is discriminatory within the meaning of s 15 of the Charter, and that this discrimination would not be saved by s 1. The most significant hurdle to a s 15 claim is the fact that there is no single law which categorically excludes First Nations reserve communities from its protection. While the courts have not considered a case with similar facts, the article argues that the Charter’s equality protections extend to the full range of government action (and inaction) regardless of whether the action stems from one law, regulation or policy, or a set of laws that, acting together, creates discrimination. An interpretation that would limit s 15 protections based on a narrow, formalistic interpretation of the word “law” in section 15 would not only run counter to the interpretations of the section in recent decisions, but more importantly would run afoul of the Charter’s purpose of promoting substantive equality. Plusieurs Premières Nations qui habitant dans des réserves au Canada n’ont pas accès à l’une des ressources les plus importantes pour la vie : de l’eau potable propre et saine. Cet article analyse le droit à l’égalité garanti par la Charte en vue de déterminer si un recours pourrait être fondé sur ce droit. L’analyse démontre que l’expérience des Premières Nations qui habitent dans des réserves sans accès à de l’eau saine est discriminatoire selon l’article 15 de la Charte, et que cette discrimination ne serait pas légitimée par l’article premier. Le plus grand défi posé à une plainte fondée sur l’article 1 réside dans le fait qu’il n’existe pas une seule loi qui exclut catégoriquement de sa protection les communautés des ...