The Attorney General of Canada appealed decisions finding that section 51(e) of the Canada Elections Act, which disqualified prisoners from voting, was unconstitutional.
The Supreme Court of Canada dismissed the appeals, holding that the provision contravened section 3 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
The Court found that the provision was drawn too broadly and failed the minimal impairment component of the proportionality test under section 1 of the Charter.
