Ottawa, December 10, 2021 - To mark Human Rights Day today, the Canadian Bar Association introduced a comprehensive new guide to advise Canadian lawyers of the increasing importance and prevalence of Business and Human Rights Law in the country and globally. The CBA Business and Human Rights Guide is designed to help lawyers incorporate more BHR Law to their legal practice.
In recent years, new laws, regulations, and case law are mandating businesses to account for their human-rights practices and to take steps to ensure respect for human rights in their operations. The guide provides recommendations on how lawyers can further incorporate BHR counsel into legal practice and offer guidance to businesses on how to ensure human rights are respected.
Quick facts
- The CBA Business and Human Rights Guide is an initiative of the Canadian Bar Association's International Law Section. It was drafted by a team of subject matter experts. CBA members and staff provided comments and editorial guidance throughout the drafting process.
- Business and Human Rights Law is an emerging area of practice in Canada and globally. A growing number of states are enacting BHR laws and regulations.
- Human rights are at the heart of social factors which require companies to have knowledge of evolving international and domestic expectations to ensure respect for human rights throughout their business operations and global supply chains.
Quotes
“Businesses increasingly face legal and reputational exposure for failures to respect human rights in Canadian courts and non-judicial fora reviewing allegations of human rights abuses by Canadian companies operating overseas. Lawyers are well-placed to counsel their clients and help them assess their need for awareness of human rights impacts in their business as a component of business risk.”
“In a world that requires businesses to respect human rights throughout their operations and relationships, this guide hopes to assist businesses and their counsel to seize an opportunity for a more just and equitable future.”
- CBA Business and Human Rights Guide
About the Canadian Bar Association
The CBA is dedicated to support for the rule of law and improvement in the law and the administration of justice. Some 36,000 lawyers, notaries in Quebec, law teachers and law students from across Canada are members.
For more information contact:
Vanessa Racine
Manager, Media Relations and Public Affairs
613-237-2925 x153
vanessar@cba.org