Kudos for not turning this into a partisan political bun-fight, NA.  Harper, Martin and Cretien all had views different from Trudeau. 
But what are our laws if not a reflection of popular opinion? When they no longer reflect popular opinion they are challenged. For example, when three juries refused to convict Henry Morgentaler, it was a reflection of the fact that public opinion on the issue of abortion was changing. The law was thought to be unjust and it was changed. Similarly with laws related to homosexuality. People simply started to ignore them, so they were changed. Same with the issue of marijuana. Because something is written into law does not make it "just", even if the decision comes from the mouth of the Supreme Court itself.
People don't need to be told by lawyers what is right. There are many wacky legal decisions derived from the application of human rights legislation in a legal vacuum.  Rights must exist in balance with society's values, not in isolation from them.