Amnesty International Canada has sharply condemned the Alberta government’s decision to invoke the Notwithstanding Clause in its newly introduced Bill 2, which critics have dubbed “the Freedom to Ignore Freedoms Act.” The bill, tabled late Wednesday, allows the province to sidestep parts of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, because, apparently, freedom is just another word for “unless inconvenient.”
Premier Danielle Smith defended the move, saying it was “about protecting Albertans from excessive rights,” adding that “some people have just had too much Charter lately.” Amnesty International called the action “a dangerous precedent,” while local supporters of the bill shrugged and said, “What’s a precedent?”
Legal experts warn the measure could undermine fundamental rights across the province. The government, however, remains defiant, noting that the Notwithstanding Clause exists precisely for moments like this, when democracy is being a little too democratic.
