[1997] 3 S.C.R.
Eldridge v. British Columbia (Attorney General)
624
Robin Susan Eldridge, John Henry Warren
and Linda Jane Warren
Appellants
v.
The Attorney General of British Columbia
and the Medical Services Commission
Respondents
and
The Attorney General of Canada,
the Attorney General for Ontario,
the Attorney General of Manitoba,
the Attorney General of Newfoundland,
the Women's Legal Education and Action Fund,
the Disabled Women's Network Canada,
the Charter Committee on Poverty Issues,
the Canadian Association of the Deaf,
the Canadian Hearing Society and
the Council of Canadians with Disabilities
Interveners
Indexed as: Eldridge v. British Columbia (Attorney General)
File No.: 24896.
1997: April 24; 1997: October 9.
Present: Lamer C.J. and La Forest, L'Heureux-Dubé, Sopinka, Gonthier, Cory, McLachlin,
Iacobucci and Major JJ.
ON APPEAL FROM THE COURT OF APPEAL FOR BRITISH COLUMBIA
Constitutional law -- Charter of Rights -- Equality rights -- Physical disability -- Publicly funded
medicare -- Medicare not providing for sign language interpreters -- Whether, and in what manner,
the Charter applies to the decision not to provide sign language interpreters for the deaf as part of
the publicly funded scheme for the provision of medical care -- Whether not providing for this
service under Acts establishing medicare and hospitalization infringing s. 15(1) equality rights of
disabled -- If so, whether legislation saved under s. 1 -- Appropriate remedy if Charter violation
found -- Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, ss. 1, 15(1) --Hospital Insurance Act,
R.S.B.C. 1979, c. 180 (now R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 204), ss. 3(1), 5(1), 9, 10(1), 29(b) -- Medical and