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Lesson 9 · Discover Canada p.75–77
The Justice System
The shortest chapter in the guide — three pages. Worth ten
minutes, and it contains one fact every Ontario resident should know.
The two principles
Presumption of innocence — in criminal matters, everyone is
innocent until proven guilty.
Due process — the government must respect all the legal rights
a person is entitled to under the law.
p.75
Who does what
| Elected representatives | Make the laws |
| The courts | Settle disputes |
| The police | Enforce the laws |
The law applies to everyone, including judges, politicians and the
police.
The courts
- The Supreme Court of Canada — the country's highest court
- The Federal Court of Canada — matters concerning the federal government
- Most provinces have an appeal court and a trial court (sometimes called the Court of Queen's Bench or the Supreme Court)
- Also: provincial courts for lesser offences, family courts, traffic courts, and small claims courts for civil cases involving small sums
The police
Learn this if you learn nothing else here. There are provincial
police forces in Ontario and Quebec. The RCMP
enforces federal laws throughout Canada and serves as the provincial police in
every province and territory except Ontario and Quebec. You live
in one of the two exceptions.
You can question the police about their service or conduct —
almost all forces in Canada have a process for bringing concerns forward.
Legal help
If you cannot pay for a lawyer, most communities have legal aid
services free of charge or at low cost. p.77
Drill
Primary source: Discover Canada, pages 75–77.
Ask your agent how policing splits between the three levels of government — it
appears in the responsibilities table for all three, which surprises people.