The history of the Supreme Court of Canada can be divided into three eras. Initially, from the court's inception in 1875 to 1949, it remained largely reserved and conservative. Its decisions could be appealed Judicial Committee of the British Privy Council, and it was often overturned on major issues.
The second era spanned from the abolition of appeals to the Privy Council in 1949 until the introduction of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 1982. This period consisted of a gradual legitimization of the Supreme Court as the supreme judicial body in the country, and a liberalization of much of its jurisprudence. The adoption of the Charter proved to be a dramatic change in the role of the court in Canadian society. Under the Charter, the court moved aggressively into many areas of laws, creating broad protection of civil liberties, aboriginal rights, and equality rights.
Read more about History Of The Supreme Court Of Canada: Origins, Under The Privy Council, Laskin Court, Dickson Court, Lamer Court, McLachlin Court
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