The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) issued a warning letter on Tuesday to the New Brunswick Minister of Justice Denis Landry regarding the province’s latest COVID-19 order..The order, brought in on December 4, invites private sector grocery stores to decide whether or not they will require customers to show proof of vaccination to enter their establishments..“The right to food is a fundamental Human Right enshrined in various international instruments including Article 25 of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 11 of the International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights amongst other Human Rights instruments,” said the JCCF in a release. .“An invitation to the private sector to consider such egregious discriminatory practices triggers historic Charter violations,” said JCCF staff lawyer Andre Memauri..“Potentially depriving citizens of food constitutes an act of cruelty. It is discriminatory, unconstitutional, and likely an offence under international law. No one should be barred from the ability to purchase food to feed their family.”.The order also “discriminates against people of faith” for gatherings such as weddings, church services and funerals by requiring occupants to be fully vaccinated, while “non-faith gatherings have no such requirement,” the release states..“In every church and other faith venue, paragraph two does not apply, but the owners, occupiers and managers are required to take every reasonable step to ensure at every indoor faith gathering that every person in the venue is fully vaccinated against COVID-19,” the provincial order states..“This is an unconscionable violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and it has no scientific or legal justification,” said Memauri..“Vaccine-free New Brunswickers who are grieving the loss of a family member cannot attend a funeral but are permitted into a pool hall with a negative test..“Canada is better than this.”.Melanie Risdon is a reporter with the Western Standard.,.mrisdon@westernstandardonline.com
The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) issued a warning letter on Tuesday to the New Brunswick Minister of Justice Denis Landry regarding the province’s latest COVID-19 order..The order, brought in on December 4, invites private sector grocery stores to decide whether or not they will require customers to show proof of vaccination to enter their establishments..“The right to food is a fundamental Human Right enshrined in various international instruments including Article 25 of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 11 of the International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights amongst other Human Rights instruments,” said the JCCF in a release. .“An invitation to the private sector to consider such egregious discriminatory practices triggers historic Charter violations,” said JCCF staff lawyer Andre Memauri..“Potentially depriving citizens of food constitutes an act of cruelty. It is discriminatory, unconstitutional, and likely an offence under international law. No one should be barred from the ability to purchase food to feed their family.”.The order also “discriminates against people of faith” for gatherings such as weddings, church services and funerals by requiring occupants to be fully vaccinated, while “non-faith gatherings have no such requirement,” the release states..“In every church and other faith venue, paragraph two does not apply, but the owners, occupiers and managers are required to take every reasonable step to ensure at every indoor faith gathering that every person in the venue is fully vaccinated against COVID-19,” the provincial order states..“This is an unconscionable violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and it has no scientific or legal justification,” said Memauri..“Vaccine-free New Brunswickers who are grieving the loss of a family member cannot attend a funeral but are permitted into a pool hall with a negative test..“Canada is better than this.”.Melanie Risdon is a reporter with the Western Standard.,.mrisdon@westernstandardonline.com