Here's what's in Alberta's Bill of Rights — and what Danielle Smith is set to change

When the 17th Alberta Legislature opened on March 2, 1972, then-premier Peter Lougheed moved quickly to introduce what the Edmonton Journal described as «the keystone piece of legislation for his administration.»

Lougheed said the primary effect of the legislation — the Alberta Bill of Rights — was to «shield the citizen from government abuse of its power,» the Calgary Herald reported in an article the same day.

Decades later, it's legislation that's now set to see some notable changes, some of which observers say could lead to jurisdictional challenges.

In a video posted online last week, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said the Alberta Bill of Rights has served its purpose well over the years.

«But as our society evolves, so too must our laws to ensure our rights and freedoms remain properly protected in an ever-changing world,» Smith said.

At its inception, the Alberta Bill of Rights laid out six human rights and fundamental freedoms that it stated existed in Alberta without discrimination by race, national origin, colour, religion and sex:

• The right of the individual to liberty, security of the person and enjoyment of property, and the right not to be deprived thereof except by due process of law.
• The right of the individual to equality before the law and the protection of the law.
• Freedom of religion.
• Freedom of speech.
• Freedom of assembly and association.
• Freedom of the press.

The Bill of Rights has been amended in recent years, including some minor tinkering.

One major amendment was expanding the reference to sex to include sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. The other major change was adding a seventh right — the right of parents to make informed decisions respecting the education of their