Law Day - Canadian Bar Association

Law Day 2013 - Wednesday, April 17

Check out photos and videos of 2012 Law Day and Charter celebrations on the CBA Facebook page.

It was on April 17, 1982 that Queen Elizabeth II and Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau signed the Charter, thereby guaranteeing fundamental rights and freedoms for all Canadians. Watch a video of this historic signing: Flash / Windows Media

In honour of this milestone, the Canadian Bar Association introduced Law Day in 1983 as a means to commemorate the event and educate the public about the legal system.

Law Day – Law Week in many jurisdictions – is marked by projects and activities taking place across the country. Activities include lectures on the law, mock trials, courthouse tours, fun runs, open citizenship courts, and poster, photography and website design contests aimed at elementary and high school students. Most activities are geared towards high school students.

Law Day is made possible through the efforts of hundreds of lawyers who donate thousands of hours of volunteer time to the event. Timing of Law Day events varies across the country.

For information and details on Law Day / Law Week activities in your area, please contact your local Branch of the CBA:

The Charter Project
The CBA partnered with the Charter Project to deliver some of its 2012 Law Day programming.

The Charter Project, an entirely student-run organization at the University of Windsor, was implemented to increase awareness of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and engage Canadians in a discussion about the rights afforded to them by this historic legislation. The Education Branch of the Charter Project has carefully structured in-class workshops designed to stimulate discussion and engage students towards a greater appreciation for a document that is emblematic of the Canadian identity.

High school teachers across Canada are encouraged to visit www.charterproject.ca to download the workshops and run them in their classrooms.