Racial Profiling in Canadian Stores research

Since this is a problem that affects how people relate with one another, it is important to study the extent of the rote and how the judicial system and society play their roles in ensuring that this problem is dealt with in the best manner possible. The judicial system in Canada has been a busy one since the matter regarding racial profiling in stores began to be a serious matter that needed to be addressed. A lot of cases ranging from physical abuse to potentially life-threatening incidents have been reported in the Canadian courts of law, all in reference to individuals defending themselves from racial abuse (Kitossa, 2014). The Ontario Human Rights Commission has gone a step further in offering a definition to the term racial profiling, which according to it is the actions taken in defense of oneself for security and safety purposes, or for public protection against stereotyping on the basis of race, religion, color, ancestry, ethnicity, or place of origin, instead of concrete suspicion reasons.

The legal system in Canada is designed in such a way as to handle these cases at a considerably faster rate because they keep coming up each and every day. The Relevant Legal Cases Many cases have been brought before different juries in Canada, which are in connection to people being racially abused in public and particularly in shopping stores. A good number of such cases have often been dealt with in a satisfactory manner as the parties involved come out having received a fair portion of the judges’ hearings. This is to say that the judicial systems in Canada are taking responsibility on their part as well as they are expected to. It remains to be seen whether other law enforcing systems in Canada can follow suit and take the example of the courts in handling the problem of racial profiling in stores (Currie, 2003).

In Canada, a black woman by the name McCarthy was racially profiled at Shoppers Drug Mart when she went shopping. This instance shows a period of four years, which passed before the case was settled. The message that such a case sends is that Canada is ready to deal with the cases of racial profiling even if it means having to delay the determinations just so that the investigations into such allegations can be concluded and the perpetrators given the punishment they deserve. Asking an individual to prepay their meal while other customers do not do the same is clearly an act of racial profiling. This brings back the conversation of having a genuine reason to suspect people, is the only option for reaching out to someone to pay their bills in an eatery.

In this case, Emile Wickham who was the plaintiff did not present any valid reason that would make the operators of the restaurant doubt his ability to pay for the meals he and the friends had ordered. This is a clear scenario that explains how racial profiling takes place in the shopping stores in Canada. Racial profiling in Canada is treated very seriously because it does not matter how petty the issue might seem, as long as there is enough proof that what happened was a case of racial profiling then the involved parties have to wait on a tribunal’s ruling as soon as the matter is reported. From the above examples, it clear that the legal systems in Canada are structured in a way as to handle the disputes that arise as a result of racial profiling.

Some cases may take time to be closed whereas others do not last long in courts or tribunals, but the general notion portrayed is that the cases are usually solved irrespective of the time it takes (Currie, 2003). This is a positive indication for a nation that is trying to eradicate racial discrimination. This is happening on the roads and even on sidewalks where police try to apprehend people on suspicion that they are criminals but without real evidence for which to attach to the suspicions. Black people have experienced times when the corps would pool them over for alleged traffic offenses that do not seem punishable by a jail term. However, statistics show that this trend is significantly reducing. The Ottawa Police Services Board, for example, has partnered with the Ontario Human Rights Commission to come up with an agreement that sees them collect data regarding racial profiling.

This helps a great deal in ensuring that there is no bias-policing that is based on ethnicity or race. It is vital understanding that courts and tribunals provide a better solution in as much as they may be slow because of the workload that juries usually have. The significance of solving disputes outside the court via mediation, for example, is that there are no courts costs and the solution may be reached at very early enough. Merry advocates for such methods with people handling racial profiling issues because they provide a leeway back into the normal understanding that existed in society before the occurrence of the events regarding racial profiling that lead to the disputes. As such, the Canadians should adopt a similar approach if they are to maintain good relationships amongst themselves.

The Legal Approach to Kicking Out Racial Profiling The law is probably the safest way to deal with racial profiling in Canada and any other nation for that matter. Similarly, shopping stores should be put under watch by incorporating stricter policies in the law to discourage any form of racial profiling such that no individual is treated differently because of their ethnic backgrounds. The Aspect of Immigrants in Relation to Racial Profiling Canada is well known for allowing immigrants into the country for various reasons. Some of them come in as refugees fleeing some kind of trouble in their homelands, whereas other come in with a view to seeking full citizenship. These people conform to different cultures that are embraced in the countries they came from.

This makes Canada very dynamic on matters to do with culture and hence the source of racial profiling as well (Kitossa, 2014). Racial profiling in Canada is at a point where serious measures need to be taken (Sewell & Heise, 2010). Conclusion In conclusion, it is vital to note that racial profiling in Canada is a serious matter that has taken the country by storm. The legal systems are trying what they can to make sure cases are solved and the involved parties punished accordingly. The prevalence of racial profiling in Canada is high and this is the main reason why Canadians treat this topic with much seriousness than most of the other nations worldwide. The immigrants as well add to the problems by crossing over to Canada with a variety of cultural behavior and sentiments.