Domestic Application of International Human Rights

"It is the object of this essay to explore the means by which international norms of behaviour can be brought into the courts of Canada. This will be followed by an examination of the likelihood that an argument grounded in international human rights will have persuasive force in those courts. Some observations will also be made as to the reason for the meager use of such authority in Canada." The author concludes that cases emanating from the Supreme Court since the enactment of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms signify an expanding range of application for this body of law and lawyers therefore need to have some knowledge of this field. [This article focuses on international human rights in general, not specifically women's rights. The reader should be aware that the principles discussed in this article have been further developed in the jurisprudence of the last decade, examples of which are annotated on this site.]