British Columbia (Attorney General) v Canada (Minister of Justice)

This case involved an attempt by the British Columbia government to ban anyone of Chinese or Japanese descent from entering into contracts, leases, or concessions with the government, i.e., making it illegal to employ people of Japanese or Chinese descent on Crown land and whether or not that was ultra vires in relation to a treaty between England and Japan (applying to Canada through its connection to the United Kingdom). Ultimately, the BCAC found that the legislation involved was ultra vires, but on the basis of separation of powers rather than the existence of a treaty.