The Legal Rights of Canadian Citizens
What are the legal rights of Canadians and why do we have legal rights? The reason is that governments could abuse their power. They could jail people unfairly or give out cruel punishments. Over the centuries, citizens have fought for rights that prevent governments from abusing their power.
In Canada today, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms outlines the legal rights of all Canadians.
Identify the section of the Charter that protects the following rights:
The right to be secure from unreasonable search and seizure. This prevents the police from searching you, your home, or your personal belongings unless they have a good reason to believe that the search will help them discover some information about a criminal activity.
The right not be arbitrarily detained and imprisoned. This means that the police cannot arrest you and place you in prison unless they have reasonable evidence to suggest that you have committed a crime.
The right not to be subject to cruel and unusual punishment. This means that if you are found guilty of a crime, the courts cannot decide to torture you. Also, your sentence must be the same as the sentence of other people who have been found guilty of a similar crime.
The right against self-incrimination. This means that anything you say as a witness that might prove that you committed a crime cannot be used as evidence against you.
The right to an interpreter. This means that you must be able to understand everything that is being said about your case. If you do not understand the language, you have the right to an interpreter who can explain to you what is being said, and who can communicate your side of the case.
The right of habeas corpus. This means that you have to be told the reason you are being arrested. You must also be brought to trial without undue delay.
The right to be considered innocent until proven guilty. This means that you do not have to prove that you did not commit the crime. The government must prove that you are guilty.
The right to a fair trial. This means that you have a right to have a lawyer. If you cannot afford one, the court must appoint one to defend you. You have a right to give your side of the case. The judge must treat you in a fair manner.
The right to bail. This means that you can't be held in jail until you have been found guilty. Instead, the judge sets bail, an amount of money deposited with the court until the trial. Granting bail is a way of letting you free while making sure you will return for your trial. This right can only be taken away if the judge thinks you may be dangerous to the public, or if the judge thinks that you will not return to court for your trial.
The right not to be tried nor punished for the same law twice. This means that once you have been tried and sentenced, the government cannot decide to take you to court again for the same crime.
Time for You to Play Lawyer
What Canadian legal right(s) is/are being violated in the following cases?
1.Ted E. Bear is found guilty of stealing a box of cookies. He is sentenced to 15 years in prison.
2.U. R. Sillie, while walking through the mall, is grabbed by police and shoved in jail. Three days later, he still doesn't know why he has been imprisoned.
3.Ima Scared, who speaks only pig-Latin, is tried in a courtroom where only English is spoken. She cannot understand what is going on around her.
4.R. U. Thayer, charged with stealing 1000 bottles of Aspirins from Big V, is tried by a jury made up of the employees of the drug store.
5.Humpty Dumpty is found guilty of vagrancy. He cannot afford a lawyer, so the King decides that no trial is necessary. He is sentences Humpty Dumpty to be cracked open at dawn. This is not a yoking matter!