The Supreme Court of Canada has declined to review an appeal contesting the legality of Canada’s first-past-the-post electoral system. This system, outlined in the Canada Elections Act, designates the candidate with the highest number of votes in a specific riding as the Member of Parliament.
Fair Voting B.C. and the Springtide Collective for Democratic Society asserted in court that the first-past-the-post system violates the guarantee of effective representation under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. They further argued that the system results in the inadequate representation of women and other demographic groups in Parliament, contravening the Charter’s equality rights provision.
The Ontario Superior Court dismissed the challenge in 2023, stating that while a proportional representation system could offer a more equitable alternative to the current method, it is not mandated by the Constitution. The province’s Court of Appeal also rebuffed the core contentions put forth by the groups.