tions to the charter that should be examined when we look at racial discrimination; these are section 2, 15 and 27.Section 2 of the Charter of rights and freedoms provides that everyone has certain fundamental freedoms, including freedom of religion. According to this act every individual has the right to “entertain such religious beliefs as the person chooses, the right to declare religious beliefs openly and without fear of hindrance or reprisal, and the right to manifest religious belief by worship and practice or by teaching, and dissemination” It also guaranties the absence of coercion and restraint.The next section 15 may be the most useful to minority groups. This section among other things states that every individual is equal under the law and has the right to equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination. This section has been very influential in the advancement of such groups as the Indians. The Indian Act governs most of Indian lives, this act has been a means for the government to control Indian matters since 1876. In the past the Act has placed constraints on the rights of and lifestyles of the Indian people. For years the Indians could not leave the reserves, even temporarily without a pass. Section 15 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms helped to remove many of the discriminatory acts that were in the Indian Act.The last Section that I want to discuss is section 27. It states that the charter will be interpreted in a manner “Consistent with the preservation and enhancement of the multicultural heritage of Canadians” One example of how this section is influential in helping minority groups was in the “Keegstra Incident” James Keegstra was a teacher who taught his students many anti-Semitic theories. He was charged with promoting hatred contrary to criminal code. He challenged the criminal code on the basis that is violated his freedom of expression guarantee...
