Rights & Responsibilities: Citizenship Test Study Notes

Where Canada's rights and freedoms come from

The rights Canadians enjoy today were not invented all at once — they grew over many centuries and were inherited from Britain. Two early milestones are often mentioned in Discover Canada: the Magna Carta of 1215, sometimes called the Great Charter of Freedoms, and the principle of habeas corpus, the right of a person to challenge being unlawfully detained by being brought before a court.

From these roots came the traditions of English common law and the freedoms enjoyed in British North America before Confederation. These shaped how Canadian courts and governments protected liberty long before there was a written list of rights. In 1982 these long-standing freedoms were brought together and strengthened in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which became part of Canada's Constitution.

Because Canada is a constitutional monarchy, the Sovereign — currently King Charles III — is the formal guardian of these freedoms, but in practice they belong to every person in Canada and are protected by independent courts.

The rights of Canadian citizens

The Charter sets out several groups of rights. The fundamental freedoms include freedom of conscience and religion; freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press; freedom of peaceful assembly; and freedom of association. Mobility rights let citizens enter, stay in and leave Canada, and live and work in any province or territory.

Legal rights protect people who deal with the justice system — for example, the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty and the protection of habeas corpus. Equality rights mean every individual is equal before and under the law, regardless of factors such as race, national or ethnic origin, religion, sex, age, or mental or physical disability.

Canada also recognises official-language rights — English and French have equal status in Parliament and in the federal government — and Canada's multicultural heritage, which the Charter directs courts to respect. Together these rights reflect Canada's commitment to a free and diverse society.

The responsibilities that come with citizenship

Discover Canada stresses that rights come with responsibilities. The most basic is obeying the law: in Canada no person or group is above the law, including the police and the government. Citizens are also expected to serve on a jury when called, an important duty that helps the justice system work fairly.

Other responsibilities include voting in elections at the federal, provincial or territorial, and local levels; helping others in the community through volunteering; caring for and protecting Canada's heritage and environment; and supporting yourself and your family where you are able. While voting and volunteering are seen as civic duties rather than legal requirements, taking part in them is central to being an engaged citizen.

Key facts to remember

• The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms became part of the Constitution in 1982.
• The Charter's four fundamental freedoms: conscience/religion, thought/expression, peaceful assembly, and association.
• Habeas corpus protects against unlawful imprisonment and comes from English common law.
• Magna Carta (1215) is an early source of the freedoms Canada inherited.
• Core responsibilities: obey the law, serve on a jury, vote, help others, and protect the environment and heritage.
• English and French have equal status in Canada's Parliament and federal government.

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