Calgary lawyer launches clothing line to champion Charter rights

A Calgary criminal defence lawyer has launched a clothing campaign to promote awareness about the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Founder Kaysi Fagan says the aim of 10(b) Collective is to generate conversation about the Charter, and empower people to know their rights and reduce the odds of injustice.

"We, both the innocent and the guilty, are vulnerable when we come into contact with the police," Fagan said. "Understanding our rights is the great leveller and a first line of defence against the abuse of police power."

"Most Canadians don’t grasp the importance of the Charter, or how these rights protect us."

Fagan says the recently-launched collection is rooted in her experience on the front lines of litigation, with more than 13 years experience as a lawyer, a professor of Advanced Criminal Law at the University of Calgary and a member of the Law Society of Alberta.

The 10(b) logo symbolizes Section 10(b) of the Charter, which guarantees the right to counsel.

According to Fagan, nearly a third of wrongful convictions are caused by false confessions, which she says occur when people don’t know their 10(b) rights.

"The 10(b) Collective aims to 'armour up' Canadians and get people talking about our rights and freedoms," she said.

A portion of profits from the apparel collection will go to non-profit organizations that support the expansion of civil liberties, and the exoneration of wrongfully convicted persons in Canada, including The Innocence Project.