Canada’s Constitution Act of 1982

In 1982 the Canadian constitution was patriated, meaning it was brought further under Canadian control. The Constitution Act made it possible for Canadian lawmakers to amend the constitution without authorization from the United Kingdom. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the act’s first section, describes the fundamental individual and group rights of Canadian citizens, including freedom of religion, voting rights, and equality rights. The second section details the specific rights of Canada’s aboriginal peoples. The government of Québec refused to endorse the act, saying it failed to recognize the province’s distinct French Canadian culture.