AbstractInsurance classifications that rely on demographic information are often accused of being discriminatory. There is a strong movement, based on human rights legislation as well as the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, to abolish them. However, analysis shows that the common criticisms of these classifications are self-contradictory and also apply in large measure to the behavioural criteria most commonly proposed as substitutes. Whether current practices are "reasonable" in the sense of the Charter will be an important question for determining the scope of the "equality rights" of section 15 of the Charter.
Traditional practice in the insurance industries of using personal information, such as age, sex, health, and marital status in setting premiums and rating customers generally. How the practice may be affected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
There is a strong movement toward legal abolition of fixed-age retirement in Canada. Quebec passed a special statute for that purpose in 1982. Human rights legislation has been interpreted to that effect in Manitoba and is tending in that direction in New Brunswick. Section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms will probably have the same result for all of Canada, once it comes into effect on April 17, 1985. This poses a novel challenge to Canadian universities, for retirement of professors at 65 is well entrenched. Several factors justify the existing practice, including the institution of tenure, the professorial pay schedule, and the need for intellectual rejuvenation. However, the arguments are unlikely to prevail against judicial interpretation of the Charter and of human rights legislation. Thus universities should now consider the ramifications. Possible measures include facilitation of early retirement, modification of pension and benefit plans, and more systematic assessment of academic staff throughout their entire careers. ; Il existe un fort mouvement visant à abolir l'âge légal obligatoire de la retraite au Canada. Québec a présenté une loi spéciale à ce sujet en 1982. La loi des droits de la personne a été interprétée à cet effet au Manitoba et s'oriente dans cette direction au Nouveau-Brunswick. La Section 15 de la Charte canadienne des Droits et Libertés aura probablement le même résultat pour tout le Canada lorsqu'elle prendra effet le 17 avril 1985. Cela pose un nouveau défi dans les univeristés canadiennes quant à la retraite des professeurs à 65 ans. De nombreux facteurs justifient l'existence de la pratique actuelle, incluant la permanence, les échelles de salaires et le besoin d'un rajeunissement intellectuel du corps professoral. Cependant, ces arguments sont peu susceptibles de l'emporter sur l'inter-prétation judiciaire de la Charte et de la loi des droits de la personne. Ainsi, les universités devraient dès maintenant en considérer les conséquences. Les mesures à envisager incluent la possibilité d'une retraite prématurée, la modification des régimes de pension et d'avantages sociaux et une évaluation plus systématique du personnel académique en cours dç carrière.
