The Special Joint Committee on the Constitution (1980-81) solicited feedback from Canadians about the government’s proposal to patriate the Constitution and entrench a Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The committee heard from over nine hundred individuals and organizations, many of whom had a direct impact on the final draft of the constitutional proposal.

In the wake of Quebec’s referendum on sovereignty-association in 1980, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau committed his government to patriating the British North America Act and entrenching human rights in the constitution. The government established a special joint committee of the House of Commons and the Senate to receive submissions from the public. The committee had twenty-five members (ten from the Senate and fifteen from the House of Commons). Fifteen were Liberals, eight were Progressive Conservatives, and two were New Democrats. What began as a thirty-day session of hearings turned into a three-month consultation in which 914 individuals and groups submitted briefs, and 214 groups made an oral presentation before the committee. The Special Joint Committee on the Constitution was a critical moment in Canada’s human rights history. The hearings highlighted how Canadians’ conception of human rights had evolved dramatically since the 1940s.

Minutes of the committee’s public hearings are available in most university libraries (chaired by Senator Harry Hays and MP Serge Joyal). However, the 914 briefs submitted to the committee are only available at Library and Archives Canada. Below is a collection of digitized briefs presented to the committee (in some cases, the document includes a description of the organization).

For a more detailed history of the Committee, visit the section on the Charter.