By Cristin Schmitz ( April 23, 2025, 6:26 PM EDT) -- Ahead of the April 28 federal election, the Liberal contender for prime minister is promising to “stand up for the Charter,” for example by expanding the federal Court Challenges Program, while his Conservative rival for the post aspires to become the first prime minister to invoke the Charter’s “notwithstanding” clause, in order to shield his promised “life without parole” sentencing reforms for multiple murders from being struck down as a violation of the Charter’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment....