Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms forms the first part of the Constitution Act, 1982. Here are some protections that the Charter guarantees:
- freedom of religion, of thought, of expression, of the press and of peaceful assembly
- the right to participate in political activities and the right to a democratic government
- the freedom to move around and live within Canada, and to leave Canada
- legal rights such as the right to life, liberty and security
- equality rights
- language rights
Department of Canadian Heritage
1 the Canadian coat of arms
2 the flag of Canada
3 the Parliament Buildings (Centre Block)
4 signature of the Right Honourable Pierre Trudeau (Prime Minister in 1982)
Canadians can go to court if they feel that their Charter rights aren’t being respected. Look online or in the newspaper. Can you find stories about these court challenges? What rights are most important to you and to your family and friends?
FREEDOM
The word divides into two – free and dom.
The word free comes from the old German frei (meaning beloved) and the Sanskrit priyah (beloved);
-dom is sometimes added to the end of a word to make it a noun (wisdom, kingdom). What other words contain the word free?