Canada's System of Justice

Cat. No J2-32/2005F-HTML
ISBN: 0-662-79513-X
© Public Works and Government Services Canada

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Table of Contents

Introduction

• Why we need laws
• What other goals do laws achieve?
• Public law and private law

Where Our Legal System Comes From

• The common-law tradition
• The civil-law tradition
• Aboriginal traditions
• Parliament

Keeping the Law Up to Date

• Law reform
• Changing laws

The Canadian Constitution

• What type of government is described by our Constitution?
• What is a federal system?

Rights and Freedoms in Canada

• The role of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
• What rights does the Charter protect?
  • Fundamental freedoms
  • Democratic rights
  • Mobility rights
  • Legal rights
  • Equality rightsLanguage rights
  • Language rights
  • Minority-language educational rightsAboriginal rights
  • Aboriginal rights
• Other rights

The Judicial Structure

• How the courts are organized
• What do the federal courts do?
• Provincial and territorial courts
• Administrative boards and tribunals

Civil and Criminal Cases

• How do civil cases proceed?
• What happens at a civil trial?
• Decisions in civil cases
• How do criminal cases proceed?
• What happens in a criminal trial?
• Victims of crime
• Decisions in criminal cases
• Can a decision be appealed?
• How does restorative justice fit in?
• Youth justice

The Role of the Public

• What are our duties under the law?
• Jury duty
• Testifying in court
• Knowing the law

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