R v Quong-Wing

The defendant was charged with illegally employing white female servants as a person of Chinese descent, a law which the defendant argues is ultra vires the provincial legislature. The precise nature of the defendant appellant's argument is unclear; however, the basic premise that the court deals with seems to be that the federal government's naturalization powers prevent provincial legislation restricting the rights of naturalized Chinese in Canada. In a 4-1 decision, the Supreme Court of Canada decided that the legislation was not ultra vires, with three concurring judgements containing variations on the conclusion that the legislation did not, in pith and substance, fall under the head of naturalization.