1. 2.4 The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
Section 1 of the Charter, the reasonable limits clause, allows your rights and freedoms to be limited if there is justifiable reason to do so.

2. Section 2: Fundamental Freedoms
Section 2 contains the “fundamental freedoms”
Divided into 4 areas:
Freedom of Conscience and Religion
Freedom of Thought, Belief, Opinion and Expression
Freedom of Peaceful Assembly
Freedom of Association

3. Freedom of Conscience and Religion
People are free to choose to practice (or not practice) religion without fear.
This has caused many disputes such as working on holidays, praying publically, and religion in schools
Government can impose limits, as long as it doesn’t infringe on the fundamental beliefs of the religion

4. Freedom of Thought, Belief, Opinion, and Expression
Deals with communication and expression, such as mass media, writing, painting, sculpture and film.
Governments can again limit this if it targets hatred towards groups and individuals. Also limits are not announcing some names of accused and victims
Censorship laws, are also used to limit availability of material from citizens (ex: movies and music ratings)
This is done to protect vulnerable people who may be harmed and/or influenced

5. Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Freedom of Association
Includes peaceful demonstrations and striking
Does not permit unlawful assembly
If a riot breaks out police read the Riot Act

6. Section 3, 4 and 5: Democratic Rights
Before 1982, the franchise (right to vote) was not guaranteed
Voting rights are limited. Restricted by age, residency and citizenship

7. Section 6: Mobility Rights
Allows you to move in and out of Canada and throughout the country freely
Provinces can restrict mobility into the province to protect the economy (ex: no collecting welfare until they have resided in the province for a certain time; also not looking for work if unemployment is already down in the province)

8. Section 7-14: Legal Rights
This will be covered in detail in Unit 2

9. Section 15 and 28: Equality Rights
Section 15 most controversial!
Difficult to define “equality”
“every individual” has the right to equal treatment by the law
Entitled to be treated “in particular, without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, sex, age, mental or physical disability”
Section 15 (2) allows for affirmative action programs (ex: assist minority groups)
Section 15 came into effect 3 years after the Charter, to give more time to define “equality”
Section 28 deals with equality of the sexes

10. Section 16-22: Official Languages of Canada
States the 2 official languages are French and English
They are equal under federal dealings (laws in both languages, debates, offered in federal buildings)

11. Section 23: Minority Language Educational Rights
Only dealing with French and English
Each province decides whether to offer another language in school

12. Section 25: Aboriginal Rights and Freedoms
Charter rights cannot interfere with treaty rights
Guarantees the “existing rights” of Aboriginal peoples
These rights are not actually laid out because the Canadian politicians and aboriginals could not agree
Section 27: Multicultural and Heritage Rights
Guides the government to consider ethnic backgrounds when creating and interpreting laws