The Canadian Bill of Rights (S.C. 1960, c. 44) is a federal statute enacted in 1960 under Prime Minister John Diefenbaker. It was Canada's first federal law to protect civil liberties and human rights.

What it does:

• Recognizes the right to life, liberty, and security of the person
• Guarantees equality before the law regardless of race, national origin, colour, religion, or sex
• Protects freedom of speech, religion, assembly, and the press
• Ensures the right to a fair hearing and legal counsel if arrested
• Prohibits arbitrary detention or imprisonment
• Protects the right to enjoyment of property and prohibits deprivation of it except by due process of law (Section 1(a)) — Canada's only federal statutory protection of property rights

Key limitations:

• Applies only to federal laws — not provincial legislation
• Land titles in Canada are provincially regulated (e.g., BC's Land Title Act) and fall outside this Bill's jurisdiction
• Can be overridden by Parliament with explicit language
• Was largely superseded by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (1982), which has constitutional status — and notably omitted property rights entirely

Why it still matters:

• Remains in force as federal law
• Has been used in court challenges to federal legislation
• Represents Canada's first codified commitment to individual rights
• Contains the only federal statutory protection of property rights in Canadian law