Senator Harder wants to legislate how the feds handle the notwithstanding clause—his colleagues have some concerns

PSG Senator Peter Harder's Bill S-218 follows a motion last Parliament that sought to foster reflection on use of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms’ notwithstanding clause.

The potential handling of federal legislation that invokes the notwithstanding clause is a question that 'deserves more than a conversation,' says Ontario Senator Peter Harder.The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

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BY LAURA RYCKEWAERT

July 23, 2025

Progressive Senator Peter Harder’s sights remain set on the use—and potential misuse—of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms’ notwithstanding clause, and his latest push to tackle the matter through legislative amendments to the Constitution Act is sparking the desired...

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