Fundamental freedoms and rights in the Canadian Constitution

Canadian Constitution

Freedoms:

Freedom of conscience and religion

Freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression iii. Freedom of peaceful assembly

Freedom of association

The freedoms guaranteed by the Canadian Constitution are similar to those of the United States and other democratic nations. The basic principles of these freedoms are the privileges of the individual to believe, speak, and meet peacefully without fear of governmental repression.

Right to vote in an election of the House of Commons

Right to enter, remain in, and leave Canada iii. The right to live and work in any Canadian province

Right to life, liberty, and the security of the person and the right not to be deprived

i. English and French

In many countries of the world, the country has one official language but will provide assistance in other languages, should they be needed. Since Canada has two official languages, governmental officials must be able to communicate ideas bilingually and all documentation must be provided in dual languages. By adopting both languages officially, the Canadian Constitution makes it so that there is no stigma applied to individuals in the country who speak only one of the official languages.

II. Part II. Rights of the Aboriginal Peoples of Canada

a. Includes:

i. Inuit

ii. Indian iii. Metis b. Aboriginal Peoples have the right to representation in the legislature.

III. Part III: Equalization and Regional Disputes:

a. All Canadians will have the same rights no matter what province they reside in This is very important, especially since later on in the Constitution, it is clear that a province has the right to make Amendments which are only applicable to that province. Consequently a person who enters a province has the same rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution, certain laws will be differentiated based upon the province of occupation.

IV. Part IV: Constitutional Conferences:

a. Conferences will be held to include in their agenda matters of the aboriginal peoples of Canada

b. Government heads of the Yukon and Northwest Territories will be represented

V. Part V: Procedure for Amending the Constitution of Canada

a. 2/3 of the Provinces must give approval for an Amendment

b. A resolution which has been passed but has gained later dissention can be revoked at any time

c. The constitution of a given province may make Amendment changes which reflect only that province

VI. Part VI: Amendment to the Constitution Act, 1867

VII. Part VII: General

a. The Constitution is the supreme law of Canada

b. The English and French versions of the Constitution are equally valid

This is extremely interesting because often meanings and understandings can alter with translation. By making the understanding that legal documentation will be unified in both official languages of the nation, the government ensures that laws are equal and the rights of citizens uniform no matter which of the languages they happen to speak. It also means that a misunderstanding of legislation because of language barriers cannot be used as an excuse to commit crimes.