Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship
Where our freedoms come from, and what Canada asks of you in return.
Where the rights come from
- Four streams feed the law here: statutes from Parliament and the provincial legislatures, English common law, French civil law, and the unwritten constitution Britain handed down.
- Together these secure an 800-year-old tradition of ordered liberty dating back to Magna Carta (the Great Charter of Freedoms), signed in England in 1215.
- Habeas corpus — the right to challenge unlawful detention by the state — comes from English common law.
- An amendment in 1982 wrote the Charter of Rights and Freedoms into the Constitution.
- The Charter begins: "Whereas Canada is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of God and the rule of law."
The four fundamental freedoms
- Freedom of conscience and religion.
- Freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of speech and of the press.
- Freedom of peaceful assembly.
- Freedom of association.
Additional rights in the Charter
- Mobility Rights — live and work anywhere in Canada, enter and leave the country freely, apply for a passport.
- Aboriginal Peoples’ Rights — Charter rights will not adversely affect treaty or other rights of Aboriginal peoples.
- Official language and minority-language education rights put French and English on an equal footing in Parliament and across government.
- Multiculturalism — a fundamental characteristic of Canadian heritage and identity.
Equality of women and men
- Men and women are equal under the law.
- Canada does not tolerate spousal abuse, "honour killings", female genital mutilation, forced marriage or other gender-based violence. These are severely punished under Canada’s criminal laws.
The six responsibilities of citizenship
- Obeying the law — no person or group is above the law (the rule of law).
- Standing on your own feet and providing for those close to you — holding work, looking after family, putting in the effort.
- Serving on a jury — when called, you are legally required to serve.
- Voting in elections — federal, provincial/territorial and local.
- Helping others in the community — volunteering.
- Protecting and enjoying our heritage and environment.
Defending Canada
- There is no compulsory military service in Canada.
- You may serve in the regular Canadian Forces (navy, army, air force), in the reserves (part-time navy, militia, air reserves), or in the cadets as a young person.
- You may also serve in the Coast Guard or in local emergency services such as a police force or fire department.