Laws
Aboriginal and Multicultural Rights
The guarantee of the rights and freedoms of the Aboriginal peoples of Canada, entrenched in the Charter.
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.
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.
Aboriginal land claims, and self-government.
It includes Aboriginal right to hunt and/or fish.
Language and General Rights
Protection of the provinces’ and Canada’s official languages in all government institutions.
Section 23 of the Charter guarantees rights for minority language education.
The Laws of Canada have to be printed in both English and French.
Sections 16 to 22 provide that both languages, French and English have equal importance in the Parliament, and in all of Canada’s institutions.
Equality Rights
Equality rights refers to the protection from discrimination.
Sexual Orientation.
Marital Status.
Citizenship.
Mental and Physical Disability.
Age.
Gender.
Religion.
Colour.
National or Ethnic Origin.
Race.
Legal Rights
Charter sections that protect personal and privacy rights and safeguard procedural rights in the criminal justice system.
Self-Incrimination and Interpreter Rights.
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.
Section 13 of the Charter protects witnesses who testify in court from having the evidence used against them in later court proceedings.
Cruel and Unusual Treatment of Punishment.
Section 12 of the Charter outlaws “cruel and unusual” punishment.
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.
Detention and Arrest.
Section 9 of the Charter guarantees that “Everyone has the right not to be arbitrarily detained or imprisoned.”
Search and Seizure Laws.
Sections 8 of the Charter guarantees that “Everyone has the right to be secure against an unreasonable search and seizure.”
Life, Liberty and Security of the Person.
