Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship: Study Notes
Canadian rights and responsibilities come from history and are secured by law. This chapter explains where Canadian law comes from, the freedoms Canadians have, and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Key facts to know
Canadian law has several sources: laws passed by Parliament and the provincial legislatures, English common law, the civil code of France, and an unwritten constitution inherited from Great Britain.
These sources secure an 800-year tradition of ordered liberty that goes back to the signing of Magna Carta in 1215.
The fundamental freedoms are freedom of conscience and religion; freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression (including speech and the press); freedom of peaceful assembly; and freedom of association.
Habeas corpus, the right to challenge unlawful detention by the state, comes from English common law.
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms was entrenched in the Constitution when it was amended in 1982.
Important Charter rights include mobility rights, Aboriginal peoples’ rights, official language and minority language educational rights, and multiculturalism.
Mobility rights mean Canadians can live and work anywhere in Canada, enter and leave the country freely, and apply for a passport.
Responsibilities of citizenship include obeying the law, taking responsibility for yourself and your family, serving on a jury when called, and helping others in your community, for example by volunteering.
Test tip: Test questions often ask you to tell a responsibility (serving on a jury) from a privilege (voting). Know both lists.
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These notes summarize the official Discover Canada guide in our own words. Always check the current edition of the guide on canada.ca. Discover Canada Prep is independent and not affiliated with IRCC.