Trends in Remedies: Multiculturalism and Common Law Damages Assessment

We all know that culture matters. Open any newspaper and stories that have a cultural aspect can readily be found. Whether it is ethnic tensions between Ukrainian and Russian speaking Ukrainians, or the xenophobic views of the Nigerian group Boko Haram that leads it to kidnap young Nigerian girls from school, or even a Chinese language only sign in Richmond, British Columbia, advertising toothpaste; debate is soon ignited. We also know that cultural issues have a habit of garnering public attention far in excess of any rational explanation of the particular issues’ importance. These are hot button issues; issues that our politicians are only too willing to tap into. But they are also issues that touch a wellspring of personal emotion, because they deal with personal dignity and cultural identity. It is against this background that I address my remarks. I want to address the issue of the extent to which common law doctrine, and in particular, common law remedies, should take account of cultural practices. I refer to cultural practices without distinguishing between religious or other ethnic practices. I ask; to what extent do courts have an obligation to model the common law to accommodate Canada’s commitment to multiculturalism? The issue I intend to touch upon is not one that is of daily occurrence in civil litigation; there are few cases to report on. However, it is one that can simply bubble to the surface, and, in that sense, forewarned is forearmed.