'Some people think of the notwithstanding clause ... as the atomic weaponry of Canadian constitutional law and politics,' says U of C law professor

The Alberta government is invoking Section 33 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms — commonly referred to as the notwithstanding clause — in its legislation forcing striking teachers back to work.

But what is the notwithstanding clause, how often has it been used before and why was it included in the charter in the first place?

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Section 33 of the charter declares that “Parliament or the legislature of a province may expressly declare in an Act of Parliament or of the legislature, as the case may be, that the Act or a provision thereof shall operate a provision included in section 2 or sections 7 to 15 of this cha

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