If the plaintiffs establish an Aboriginal Right to fish the claim area, then Canada’s actions in unreasonably limiting the exercise of this right or causing undue hardship to the plaintiffs constitute a prima facie infringement of the plaintiffs’ right which is protected under s. 35(1) of the Constitution Act, 1982. However, Canada may be able to justify this infringement if they establish that the infringement was in furtherance of a valid legislative objective, and upholds the honour of the Crown in light of its obligations towards Indigenous peoples. In this scenario, Canada’s conduct while infringing the plaintiffs’ rights would not be unconstitutional (R v. Sparrow, 1990 CanLII 104 (SCC), [1990] 1 S.C.R. 1075).
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