Laws
Legal Rights
Charter sections that protect personal and privacy rights and safeguard procedural rights in the criminal justice system.
Life, Liberty and Security of the Person.
Search and Seizure Laws.
Sections 8 of the Charter guarantees that “Everyone has the right to be secure against an unreasonable search and seizure.”
Detention and Arrest.
Section 9 of the Charter guarantees that “Everyone has the right not to be arbitrarily detained or imprisoned.”
Rights on Being Charged with an Offense.
Section 11 of the Charter (Rights at Trial) provides specific rights for any person charged with an offense.
Cruel and Unusual Treatment of Punishment.
Section 12 of the Charter outlaws “cruel and unusual” punishment.
Self-Incrimination and Interpreter Rights.
Section 13 of the Charter protects witnesses who testify in court from having the evidence used against them in later court proceedings.
Section 14 of the Charter guarantees that anyone involved in a proceeding who does not understand or speak the language of the court has an interpreter. It also applies to people who are hearing impaired.
Equality Rights
Equality rights refers to the protection from discrimination.
Race.
National or Ethnic Origin.
Colour.
Religion.
Gender.
Age.
Mental and Physical Disability.
Citizenship.
Marital Status.
Sexual Orientation.
Language and General Rights
Protection of the provinces’ and Canada’s official languages in all government institutions.
Sections 16 to 22 provide that both languages, French and English have equal importance in the Parliament, and in all of Canada’s institutions.
The Laws of Canada have to be printed in both English and French.
Section 23 of the Charter guarantees rights for minority language education.
Aboriginal and Multicultural Rights
The guarantee of the rights and freedoms of the Aboriginal peoples of Canada, entrenched in the Charter.
Section 25 of the Charter guarantees the existing rights of the Aboriginal people. The rights or freedoms in the Charter cannot interfere with any Aboriginal rights or treaties.
It includes Aboriginal right to hunt and/or fish.
Aboriginal land claims, and self-government.
Section 27 of the Charter guarantees the multicultural nature of Canada. Since Canadians come from different ethnic backgrounds, and have different needs, governments should consider these varying cultural backgrounds at all times.