Saturday, August 1, 2009

Faulty argument - Letter to Editor - The Province

The police position that this evening's Critical Mass "protest" is "protected by Charter rights" is utter nonsense.

The Charter protects Canadians from governmental action which infringes fundamental freedoms and then only to the extent that the government action is not a reasonable limitation in a free and democratic society. Just what government action is it that is being protested?

Further, who gave the police the right to determine that a Charter right is at issue? Those judgments are reserved for the judiciary or elected officials.

The "blockade" of public streets is a violation of the law and it is not up to the police to decide which laws they will enforce or not. The police do not have the right to abrogate my entitlement to live in a society of laws.

Donald Jordan, Q.C., Vancouver

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