Torys has one of the most active constitutional law practices of any law firm in Canada. Our litigators regularly act in all levels of court in cases under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and other aspects of the Canadian Constitution. We also regularly advise on Charter and federalism issues. The clients we advise and represent on these issues include business clients, individuals and public interest organizations, as well as governments, government commissions and Crown corporations, both federal and provincial. Members of the firm are the editors for civil cases of Canadian Charter of Rights Annotated.
Our lawyers have appeared in the Supreme Court of Canada on constitutional issues, including search and seizure of business records, picketing and leafleting of business premises, defamation and freedom of expression, school funding, access to therapeutic records in sexual assault cases and international human rights covenants. The other constitutional cases we have litigated include cases involving jurisdiction to regulate securities transactions, environmental regulations, publication bans, federal benefits legislation, hospital closings, religious education and Sunday shopping.