Advancing Social & Economic Rights
Through Inclusive
Human Rights Practice.
We partner with communities, NGOs, advocates and researchers in Canada and internationally to advance human rights of disadvantaged groups through strategic litigation, research and public engagement.
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Current Initiatives
Brown v Alberta
Critical Charter challenge to Decision to end funding for Supervised Consumption Site as a violation of rights to life, security of the person and equality of persons with substance use disorders.
Waterloo v Persons Unknown
First encampments case in Canada to consider whether the Charter provides more than protection from eviction, i.e. if it requires the implementation of a rights-based Plan to End Chronic Homelessness. Also considering whether homelessness should be recognized as a prohibited ground of discrimination under the Charter.
UN Human Rights Committee Review of Canada
All NGO submissions, documents and Concluding Observations from the review of Canada by the UN Human Rights Committee in March 2026.
Implementation of International Human Rights in Canada
Proposals and advocacy for improved implementation mechanisms.
Ali et al v Timbercreek et al: The Herongate Claim
The first human rights claim to address the discriminatory effects of financialization and redevelopment on protected groups.
Toussaint v Canada
Historic UN Human Rights Committee decision on access to essential health care for irregular migrants and Charter challenge to Canada's refusal to comply.
News
Homeless Recognized as Analogous Ground in Waterloo Encampments Case
SRAC makes Submission to the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee on the Achievement of Social Justice through the Legal Enforcement of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights by National Courts. Read the Submission
SRAC welcomes the appointment of Louise Arbour as Canada's new Governor General. Justice Arbour has been a strong ally and proponent of social rights both in Canada and at the UN, where she helped to spearhead the historic adoption of a complaints and adjudication procedure for social rights: the OP-ICESCR.
Collaboration and Networks
National Right to Housing Network
SRAC supports Canada's national network formed to implement the right to housing under the National Housing Strategy Act, on the Steering Committee and in strategic litigation.
ESCR-Net Global
Founding participant of the ESCR-Net Strategic Litigation Working Group, dedicated to coordinating global legal strategies.
Social Rights in Canada - A Community-University Research Alliance (CURA)
Archived material from 10 year SSHRC-funded research project.
Maytree Foundation
Maytree: Supporting Maytree's groundbreaking work in bringing socio-economic rights to social policy research and anti-poverty advocacy.
Charter Committee on Poverty Issues
Supporting CCPI's groundbreaking Charter litigation and interventions in key cases on the rights of people living in poverty, homelessness or people denied access to essential health care and other essential services.
Resources & Publications
Full Library
A comprehensive, searchable list consisting of reports, facta, policy submissions, and focused research sorted by topic.
Litigation Toolkit
Essential templates, up-to-date research documents, and practice notes designed to strengthen social rights arguments in court.
Public Education
A wide variety of curated community and classroom materials focusing on foundational and advanced social and economic rights.