Historical Organization
Supreme Court of Canada
Supreme Court of Canada
Details
Organization Timeline
The Nisga'a Calder case changes the debate over Aboriginal title
📅 31 January 1973The Supreme Court delivered its judgment in the Nisga'a land case. Six judges recognized that Aboriginal title existed before colonization, but divided over whether it had been extinguished; the...
The Sparrow judgment strengthens constitutional protection of Aboriginal rights
📅 31 May 1990The Supreme Court decided R. v. Sparrow, arising from a Musqueam fisher's prosecution under fishing regulations. The judgment addressed protection of existing Aboriginal rights under section 35 and...
Delgamuukw gives Indigenous oral histories a place in title litigation
📅 11 December 1997The Supreme Court of Canada clarified Aboriginal title and held that courts must adapt evidentiary rules to take Indigenous oral histories seriously. It ordered a new trial rather than awarding the...
Haida Nation establishes a duty to consult before title is finally proven
📅 18 November 2004The Supreme Court of Canada held that the Crown has a duty to consult and, where appropriate, accommodate Indigenous peoples when contemplated conduct may adversely affect potential rights. The...
Tsilhqot'in Nation wins a declaration of Aboriginal title
📅 26 June 2014The Supreme Court of Canada granted a declaration of Aboriginal title over the area claimed by the Tsilhqot'in Nation before it. The judgment recognized territorial occupation beyond narrowly...