Where do Canadians’ rights and responsibilities come from?
- Canada’s history, secured by Canadian law
- Each new government decides them
- The United Nations Charter
- Treaties with the United States
Answer: Canada’s history, secured by Canadian law
Canadians’ rights and responsibilities come from our history and are secured by Canadian law. They also reflect our shared traditions, identity and values. They are not decided anew by each government, nor taken from foreign treaties.
Learn more: The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
- The Constitution of Canada was amended in 1982 to entrench the Charter.
- It begins: “Whereas Canada is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of God and the rule of law.”
- This phrase underlines the importance of religious traditions to Canadian society and the dignity and worth of the human person.
- Mobility rights: Canadians can live and work anywhere in Canada, enter and leave the country freely, and apply for a passport.
- Aboriginal peoples’ rights: Charter rights will not adversely affect any treaty or other rights or freedoms of Aboriginal peoples.
- Official language rights: French and English have equal status in Parliament and throughout the government.
- The Charter also protects minority language educational rights.
- Multiculturalism is a fundamental characteristic of Canadian heritage and identity. Canadians respect pluralism and try to live in harmony.