← All lessons

Lesson 1 · Discover Canada p.11–15

Rights & Responsibilities of Citizenship

The chapter the whole test is named after. Short, dense, and almost guaranteed to appear — IRCC's own sample questions draw from it twice.

Where Canadian rights come from

The guide traces Canadian liberty back 800 years, to Magna Carta, 1215 — also called the Great Charter of Freedoms. That is the single most quotable date in the chapter. p.11

Canadian law draws on several sources at once: laws passed by Parliament and the provincial legislatures, English common law, the civil code of France, and an unwritten constitution inherited from Great Britain. Habeas corpus — the right to challenge unlawful detention — comes specifically from English common law.

The four fundamental freedoms

Discover Canada p.11

The Charter, 1982

The Constitution was amended in 1982 to entrench the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It opens: "Whereas Canada is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of God and the rule of law." p.12

RightWhat it means
Mobility RightsLive and work anywhere in Canada, enter and leave freely, apply for a passport
Aboriginal Peoples' RightsCharter rights will not adversely affect treaty or other Aboriginal rights
Official Language RightsFrench and English have equal status in Parliament and throughout government
MulticulturalismA fundamental characteristic of Canadian heritage and identity

The six responsibilities

Learn these as a list of six. One of IRCC's own sample questions asks for three responsibilities of citizenship, and the right answer is obeying the law, taking responsibility for oneself and one's family, and serving on a jury. p.13

  1. Obeying the law — no person or group is above the law
  2. Taking responsibility for oneself and one's family
  3. Serving on a jury — legally required when called
  4. Voting in elections — federal, provincial/territorial, local
  5. Helping others in the community — volunteering
  6. Protecting and enjoying our heritage and environment
The trap here. Plausible-sounding but wrong answers include recycling, learning both official languages, joining a union, and buying Canadian products. None of those are responsibilities of citizenship in the guide. Jury duty is — and it is legally required, not optional.

Defending Canada

There is no compulsory military service in Canada. Serving in the regular Canadian Forces — navy, army and air force — is voluntary. You may also serve in the Coast Guard, a police force or a fire department. p.14–15

Equality of women and men

Men and women are equal under the law. The guide is explicit that Canada's openness does not extend to spousal abuse, "honour killings", female genital mutilation or forced marriage, and that those guilty are severely punished. p.13

Drill

Answer from memory. You will see why you were right or wrong immediately, with the page to go back to.

Primary source: read Discover Canada, pages 11–15, in the PDF. This is the chapter most worth reading in full — it is only five large-print pages.
Confused about the difference between a right, a freedom and a responsibility? Ask your agent — it is the distinction this chapter tests hardest.
Next: Who We Are → Reference sheets Home