The most urgent and vexing issues around freedom of religion or belief arise at the level of fundamental human rights, and it is in this area that Canada can make a significant contribution, by helping to strengthen universal norms and practices that support religious freedom for everyone.

Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms: (d) freedom of association. Canadians are therefore free to have their own beliefs and opinions, are free to practise religion or refrain, and are free to establish media organizations with or without religious content.

Freedom of religion has been defined as “the right to entertain such religious beliefs as a person chooses, the right to declare religious beliefs openly and without fear of hindrance or reprisal, and the right to manifest religious belief by worship and practise or by teaching and dissemination” ( Big M, supra at page 336; Ross v.

On further appeal the Supreme Court of Canada held that the Minister's decision to force the teaching of Catholicism from a neutral standpoint unreasonably violated religious freedom, and was sent back to the Minister for reconsideration. ^ R. v. Sharpe, 1999 BCCA 416 at 79. ^ Hogg, Peter W. Canada Act 1982 Annotated.