Supreme Court upholds First Nation election requirement, rules that Charter applies

 Must live in community to sit on council  OTTAWA- The Supreme Court of Canada is upholding a rule that requires members of a Yukon First Nation to live in its community should they want to serve on its council. Cindy Dickson had been fighting in the courts to have that requirement declared unconstitutional because it means council members must move back to the community within 14 days of winning a seat. Living about 800 kilometres away, Dickson was unable to move to Old Crow if elected because her son requires access to medical care not available in the community. The self-governing First Nation’s rule, however, was found by the majority of the court to constitute a specific government activity, and the court ruled that the Charter of Rights and Freedoms…

This content is for Yearly Subscription, Yearly Subscription – Corporate, and Print Subscription Only members only.
Log In Register

Add Your Voice

Is there more to this story? We'd like to hear from you about this or any other stories you think we should know about. Contribute your voice on our contribute page.