Proposed Alberta Bill of Rights changes aim to protect freedom to refuse vaccines, medical treatment
CTV
The Alberta government introduced its promised amendment to the provincial Bill of Rights on the first day of the legislature's fall sitting on Monday, a move Premier Danielle Smith said will "strengthen" human rights protections and "ensure our province remains one of the freest societies in the world."
The Alberta government introduced its promised amendment to the provincial Bill of Rights on the first day of the legislature's fall sitting on Monday, a move Premier Danielle Smith said will "strengthen" human rights protections and "ensure our province remains one of the freest societies in the world."
The new bill aims to bolster rights for property and gun owners as well as broaden legislation to protect freedom of expression beyond speech and writing.
It also protects people with capacity from being compelled or coerced into receiving medical treatments or vaccines but leaves it up to the courts to decide how the law is applied.
"No one should be pressured into accepting medical treatments without their full consent, including vaccines," Smith told media on Monday at the Alberta legislature.
Justice Minister Mickey Amery said Monday the government will "allow the courts to make those determinations using the precedent that they've established and the case law that already exists."
Smith said the Bill of Rights amendments have also been worded so as not to conflict with the government's plan to introduce legislation giving police and family the authority to force drug users into treatment.
The premier said her motivation for making the Alberta Bill of Rights amendment the first item of the fall sitting is because she has been advocating for changes to it since 1997.
