Outline: What is the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms What are rights and freedoms Limits of rights and freedoms

Human Rights - A right that is believed to belong justifiably to every person Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, whatever our nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status We are all equally entitled to our human rights without discrimination. These rights are all interrelated, interdependent and indivisible.

With great power comes great responsibility!

When people are in positions of authority they have the power to affect the lives of others

There is always a chance people with authority might use their power in ways that are not fair

One institution with authority in Canada is our government which makes laws and provides services that greatly affect our lives Our constitution makes sure that our government does not abuse its authority Constitution – A set of rules that a government must follow

Found in our Constitution is the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms Charter of Rights and Freedoms – A document that protects the interests of Canadians and provides a way to challenge perceived abuses of basis rights and freedoms through our court system Our Charter says that all laws must apply equally to everyone and protect us from unfair actions and unfair laws by government and those acting on its behalf such as the police

The Charter has seven areas of protection: 1) Fundamental freedoms 2) Democratic rights 3) Language rights 4) Mobility right 5) Minority language educational rights 6) Equality rights 7) Legal rights

Right A legal, moral, or social entitlement that citizens can expect, mainly from governmentExample: People in Canada are entitled to a fair trial The right to conduct one’s affairs without government interferenceExample: You have the right to seek employment anywhere in Canada Freedom

Responsibility - Something you're required to do as an upstanding member of a community Freedom and responsibility go hand in hand – if we don’t act responsibly then people could lose freedoms from the harms caused Examples: When you turn 18 you have a responsibility to exercise your right to vote We have a responsibility to others to make sure we are upholding their human rights

Some rights and freedoms include: Freedom of Speech and Expression Freedom of Religion and Conscience Freedom of Assembly The Right to Equal Protection before the Law

Rights and freedoms do have limits in order to protect the rights and freedoms of others and protect public safety Limiting a person’s rights and freedoms much be justifiable Example: People in prison have some rights and freedoms taken away because they broke the law

People have the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of association This means hockey fans have the right to gather to celebrate with other hockey fans The rights of many were limited in during the 2011 the Vancouver Stanley Cup Riots The hockey fans who gathered to celebrate began to riot causing much property damage The riot compromised the rights of others whose property was destroyed and offenders were arrested

The Supreme Court of Canada interprets the intention of the Charter The Court is made up of nine judges who will hear cases that matter to all Canadians Example: The Supreme Court ruled that government in Canada could not pass laws making gay marriage illegal

The Charter does not directly provide protection for people from the actions of others and from non-government intuitions These protections come from Human Rights Laws found in each province in Canada; these laws must follow the intention of the Charter Human Rights Laws – Guarantee people equal treatment regardless of certain identified characteristics such as sex, age, race, religion, and sexual orientation, in order to protect them from discrimination Example: If an employer refuses to hire you on anything other than your merit, such as the colour of your skin, you could make a complaint under Human Rights Laws