Speaking out on human rights : debating Canada's human rights system /

Canada's human rights commissions and tribunals have been the subject of red-hot debate in recent years. Eliadis's book addresses this human rights system from primarily a legal perspective, and seeks to address what she views as myths that have been perpetuated about that system. The book first charts the evolution of this human rights system and subsequently addresses normative questions regarding the necessity of commissions and tribunals, as well as whether the outcomes produced by these bodies are fair. Eliadis (president, Quebec Bar Association's Advisory Committee on Human Rights) concludes her book by proposing reforms and ideas to strengthen Canada's human rights system. While the book is originally framed as a sober examination of the human rights system, this intention is quickly jettisoned in favor of a strident defense of both the necessity and fairness of that system. The book will therefore be welcomed as a useful but largely one-sided addition to the debate on human rights commissions and tribunals. While Eliadis intends for the book to be read by a general audience, it is not particularly accessible and will be of interest primarily to lawyers, human rights activists, and academics. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students, researchers, and professionals. --Royce Koop, University of Manitoba