Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship

High yield

Two pages, but heavily tested. The lists here are memorized wholesale — freedoms, rights, responsibilities.

Guide pages 8–9

Where our rights come from

Canadian law has several sources: laws passed by Parliament and provincial legislatures, English common law, the civil code of France, and the unwritten constitution inherited from Great Britain.
Together these secure an 800-year-old tradition of ordered liberty dating back to Magna Carta, signed in 1215 in England — also called the Great Charter of Freedoms.
Habeas corpus — the right to challenge unlawful detention by the state — comes from English common law.
The Constitution was amended in 1982 to entrench the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
The Charter begins: “Whereas Canada is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of God and the rule of law.”

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.

Mobility Rights — live and work anywhere in Canada, enter and leave the country freely, and apply for a passport.
Aboriginal Peoples' Rights — Charter rights will not adversely affect any treaty or other rights or freedoms of Aboriginal peoples.
Official Language Rights and Minority Language Educational Rights — French and English have equal status in Parliament and throughout the government.
Multiculturalism — a fundamental characteristic of Canadian heritage and identity.

Obeying the law — no person or group is above the law. The rule of law is a founding principle.
Taking responsibility for oneself and one's family — getting a job, caring for your family, working hard.
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.

Men and women are equal under the law. Spousal abuse, “honour killings,” female genital mutilation, forced marriage and other gender-based violence are severely punished under Canada's criminal laws.
There is no compulsory military service in Canada.
You may serve in the regular Canadian Forces (navy, army, air force), the reserves, the Coast Guard, or local emergency services such as police or fire.