A: The Charter sets out the rights and freedoms of people in relation to government activities. Laws that the federal parliament or the provincial legislatures make cannot go against the Charter. The policies and procedures of government agencies, such as Citizenship and Immigration Canada for example, must follow the Charter. The activities of government employees, such as the police, must respect the rights and freedoms set out in the Charter. The Charter does not apply to non-government activities.
Other human rights laws, such as the Alberta Human Rights Act (AHRA), apply to interactions between individuals and companies such as your employer or your landlord.
The rights and freedoms contained in the Charter are not always included in other human rights laws and the remedies when someone doesn’t follow the law are not the same. For example, the Charter protects people from unreasonable search and seizure, which means, for example, the police cannot enter your home to look for evidence without a warrant (there are some exceptions to this rule). If the police do this, they may not be able to use the evidence they collect against you in court. This right is not included in the AHRA, so if your roommate or parent goes through the things in your room, they have not violated your human rights.
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