In the Territorial Court of the Northwest Territories Between: Her Majesty the Queen Indian Act and Joseph Drybones, Appellant. Reasons for Judgment of the Honourable Mr. Justice W.G. Morrow

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Database ID24878
InstitutionUniversity of Saskatchewan Libraries Special Collections
Fonds/CollectionCanadiana Pamphlets Collection
SeriesXXXII
File/Item ReferenceXXXII-132-InTheTerritorial (36)
Date of creation1969
Physical description/extent1 document; 11 pages of textual records
Number of images11
Historical noteR. v. Drybones, [1970] S.C.R. 282, is a landmark 6-3 Supreme Court of Canada decision holding that the Canadian Bill of Rights "empowered the courts to strike down federal legislation which offended its dictates" and, as such, section 94(b) of the Indian Act (which prohibited "Indians" from being intoxicated off of a reserve) is therefore inoperative because it violates section 1(b) of the Canadian Bill of Rights. Prior to this decision there had been much debate on the application of the Bill of Rights to an infringing statute. One perspective saw the Bill of Rights as an interpretive aid. The other perspective saw it as statute that constrained the supremacy of Parliament, rendering irreconcilable federal enactments of no force or effect. After this case, the overriding power that the Court held flows from the Canadian Bill of Rights was never used, and has since never been reconsidered by the Supreme Court of Canada.As a consequence of this case, section 94 was repealed by Parliament in 1971.
Scope and contentFindings of the court case involving the Crown v. Joseph Drybones, who was found guilty of intoxication off a reserve, contrary to Section 94(b) of the Indian Act.
ContributerIndian-Eskimo Association of Canada
Copyright holderIndian-Eskimo Association of Canada
Copyright expiry dateUnknown
Other terms governing use and reproductionResponsibility regarding questions of copyright that may arise in the use of any images is assumed by the researcher.
TypePublished
Primary MediaTextual documents
Provenance Access PointUniversity of Saskatchewan Library. Canadiana Pamphlets Collection
PlaceYellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada
Treaty boundariesTreaty 11
Cultural regionSubarctic
NamesDrybones, Joseph
Morrow, Mr. Justice William
Purdy, Brian
Troy, O.J.T.
SubjectLaw and Legislation -- Acts -- Bill of Rights
Law and Legislation -- Acts -- Indian Act
North
Inuit
Date Range(s)1960-1969
Permanent Link https://digital.scaa.sk.ca/ourlegacy/permalink/24878