Lesson 6 — Activity 2: What Are Rights and Freedoms?
Completion requirements
Lesson 6 — Activity 2:
What Are
Rights
and
Freedoms?
Warm Up
Rights
and
freedoms
are the basic privileges that all Canadians enjoy. In Canada, the Charter guarantees these
rights
and
freedoms. In this activity, you will be introduced to the basic
rights
and
freedoms
in Canada.
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Definitions of a Right and a Freedom
A right is a legal, moral, or social expectation that Canadians are entitled to from the government. For example, a person accused of committing an offence is entitled to a lawyer and a fair
trial
within a reasonable amount of time.
A freedom is a right to live your life without interference from the government unless you intrude on the
freedoms
of others.
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees several fundamental freedoms for all Canadians. Fundamental freedoms include those rights and freedoms considered essential to the functioning of a democracy. They allow individuals and groups to express themselves, to believe and practice what they choose, and to exercise their right to vote.
These include freedom of:
- conscience and religion
- thought, belief, opinion, and expression, including freedom of the press and other media
- peaceful assembly
- association
Under the
Charter, Canadians are free to follow the religion of their choice. In
addition, they are guaranteed freedom of thought, belief, and expression.
Since the media is an important means for communicating thoughts and
ideas, the Charter also protects the right of the press and other media
to speak out. Our right to gather and act in peaceful groups is also
protected, as is our right to belong to an association such as a trade
union.
@creativecommons
These freedoms are set out in the Charter to ensure that Canadians are free to create and to express their ideas, gather to discuss them, and communicate them widely to other people. These activities are basic forms of individual liberty. They are also important to the success of a democratic society like Canada. In a democracy, people must be free to discuss matters of public policy, criticize governments, and offer their own solutions to social problems.
Even though these freedoms are very important, governments can sometimes limit them. For example, laws against hate propaganda are reasonable limits on the freedom of expression because they prevent harm to individuals and groups.
Under the Charter, Canadians are free to follow the religion of their choice. In addition, they are guaranteed freedom of thought, belief, and expression. Since the media is an important means for communicating thoughts and ideas, the Charter also protects the right of the press and other media to speak out. Our right to gather and act in peaceful groups is also protected, as is our right to belong to an association such as a trade union.
@creativecommons
The Charter also states that every Canadian has certain rights that fall into the following categories: democratic rights, legal rights, equality rights, mobility rights, and language rights. Read more about these rights below.
- democratic rights that define and guide our system of government
- legal rights that ensure all citizens are protected by the laws and those who enforce them
- equality rights that ensure all citizens are treated equally regardless of race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age, or mental or physical disability
- mobility rights that ensure Canadian citizens can leave and enter Canada at will and move freely among provinces
- language rights which reflect Canada's history of both French and British settlements by guaranteeing French and English
You will learn more about these rights in the upcoming lessons.
- democratic rights that define and guide our system of government
- legal rights that ensure all citizens are protected by the laws and those who enforce them
- equality rights that ensure all citizens are treated equally regardless of race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age, or mental or physical disability
- mobility rights that ensure Canadian citizens can leave and enter Canada at will and move freely among provinces
- language rights which reflect Canada's history of both French and British settlements by guaranteeing French and English
Explore!
Explore the Virtual Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms!
Click here
to open the website on the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Now that you are familiar with how to move around the document, see if you can find the following sections:
-
Fundamental Freedoms
-
Democratic Rights
-
Legal Rights
-
Equality Rights
-
Mobility Rights
-
Language Rights (Official Languages of Canada)
Remember, use
the special Zoomify tool at the bottom to zoom in, zoom out, and move
around as you explore the document.
Rights and freedoms are not without limits. Sometimes they have to be limited in order to protect the rights and freedoms of others. For example, prisoners have some of their rights and freedoms taken away because they have broken the law.
An example occurred during the Stanley Cup Riots in downtown Vancouver in 2011. People gathered to celebrate (protected under "freedom of peaceful assembly") with other hockey fans (protected under "freedom of association"). However, when the assembly turned into a riot, the freedoms of others (such as those of shopkeepers whose windows were broken) were compromised. The police had to arrest some rioters who were then charged with breaking the law. Freedoms are guaranteed only to such reasonable limits as can be justified in a free and democratic society. You will learn more about these limits in the next activity.
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Vancouver riot
Learning about the Charter of Rights and Freedoms is very important because every person in Canada is protected under the rights and freedoms contained in the Charter. It has a role in all aspects of our lives. Many of you will take part-time jobs while you are in high school. You are protected by laws that are based on the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. For example, you are protected from racial or sexual harassment. If you engage in such activities yourself, you can face disciplinary action.
As a Canadian citizen, you also have responsibilities:
- to respect the rights and freedoms of others
- to be informed
-
to obey Canada's laws
-
to participate in elections
-
to respect Canada's two official languages and multicultural heritage
Click here to download a document where you will brainstorm what being a Canadian means to you. Print off the document, complete it, and then hand it in to your teacher so it can be marked as complete.
As a Canadian citizen, you also have responsibilities:
- to respect the rights and freedoms of others
- to be informed
- to obey Canada's laws
-
to participate in elections
- to respect Canada's two official languages and multicultural heritage
Click here to download a document where you will brainstorm what being a Canadian means to you. Print off the document, complete it, and then hand it in to your teacher so it can be marked as complete.
All Canadians enjoy the rights contained in the Charter, and our laws guarantee these rights and freedoms. Our government must ensure that all Canadian citizens have the same rights. All Canadian laws must reflect the principles outlined in the Charter, and in turn, the Charter guides our lawmakers. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms can be considered the single most important document of our nation.
Self-check!
Try This!
Click here to view a presentation on the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. After the presentation has loaded, click on the blue flashing arrow to move through the presentation.