Inquiry into the Issue

Inquiry into the Issue

Two youth are caught committing the same crime. The first youth remains anonymous when the crime appears on the front page of the local newspaper. The second youth has both a picture and a name published on the front page of another local newspaper. Consider how these events will affect both the identities and future quality of life of these two young offenders.

A very important part of governance in Canada is the justice system. In the previous unit, you examined how laws are produced by the government and interpreted by the judicial branch. An important part of writing laws is ensuring that they are fair and equitable for all Canadians. The Supreme Court ensures laws are just and fair and do not violate the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Protecting youth is an important part of Canada's justice system. The Youth Criminal Justice Act was written to deal with youth who break the law, whereas adult offenders are tried under the criminal code. You may find examples of the difference between the treatment of youth and adults as you read or listen to the daily news.

In this section, you will investigate this question:

How does Canada's justice system protect you as a citizen?

Inquiry Activity

Youths are treated differently than adults by Canada's justice system. All youth who come into conflict with the law are dealt with under the under the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA). All adults must face the law as it is defined in the Criminal Code of Canada.

These two laws have similarities and differences. The consequences for offenders are meant to be fair and equitable. Examine the similarities and differences of these two laws as you evaluate how fair and equitable they are.

The Youth Criminal Justice Act was enacted (became law) in 2003 to treat young offenders differently from adults.

Read about Canada's justice system, the YCJA, and the Criminal Code of Canada in "How are youth justice and adult justice different in Canada?" on page 64 of your textbook, Issues for Canadians.

Complete the Justice activity by clicking on one of the links below.

Justice (Word)
Justice (pdf)
Justice (Google Doc)

Store your completed work in your Activities folder.