Re-Storying Justice Episode 1: Land, Law, and Climate Justice with Leslie Anne St. Amour
Sep 2, 2025
Leslie Anne St. Amour, RAVEN's Campaigns Director and expert in climate and Indigenous rights, dives into two pivotal legal challenges: La Rose v. Canada and the Wet'suwet'en lawsuit. She discusses how these cases argue that Canada's inaction on climate change violates Section 7 rights, especially for Indigenous youth. Leslie connects these Canadian cases to global trends in climate litigation, explaining their potential to set precedents. Hopeful about activism's diverse tactics, she highlights the importance of legal action in the fight for climate justice.
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Section 7 Can Cover Climate Harms
- Section 7 protects life, liberty, and security and can cover government actions that increase danger.
- LaRose frames climate harms as government-created risks that impair these Charter rights.
Section 7 Is Not Just 'Don't Interfere'
- Section 7 isn't purely a negative right and can invalidate laws that make people less safe.
- Leslie Anne uses Bedford to show courts can strike laws that increase risks to life and security.
Joint Appeals Strengthen Precedents
- Hearing related cases together strengthens judicial reasoning by exposing judges to broader arguments.
- LaRose and the Wet'suwet'en house groups were heard alongside each other to enrich precedent.