GH9 Vocabulary

Government

The governing body of a nation

Governance

The process and manner of governing

Govern

To make decisions as a government and apply them

Parliament

Another term for Canada’s government

Legislative Branch

The branch of the government responsible for law-making

Executive Branch

The branch of government responsible for putting laws into action, proposing laws, and running the day-to-day business of the government

Judicial Branch

The branch of government responsible for interpreting, applying, and enforcing laws

House of Commons

The lower house of the legislative branch that consists of 338 MPs.

Member of Parliament (MP)

An individual responsible for representing their constituency in the House of Commons

Senate

The upper house of the legislative branch that consists of 91 Senators that provide “sober second thought” to all bills passed in the House of Commons

Senator

An appointed individual who, with the rest of the Senate, consider all bills passed from the House of Commons

Governor General

The chief representative of the Monarch

Prime Minister’s Office

A partisan body consisting of the Prime Minister and their top political staff

Prime Minister

The head of an elected government

Cabinet

The committee of senior ministers responsible for controlling the government policy

Cabinet Minister

An individual responsible for overseeing a certain ministry

Portfolios

The position and duties of a Cabinet Minister

Supreme Court of Canada

The highest court of appeal in Canada with the final say in all cases

Common Law

The body of law created by judges and similar quasi-judicial tribunals by virtue of being stated in written opinion

Civil Law

The body of law that outlines rules on settling disputes between individuals

Justices

The nine judges of the Supreme Court

Chief Justice

The chair of the Supreme Court

Federal Court

The court that deals with federal matters

Provincial Court

The court that deals with provincial matters

Tax Court

The court that deals with taxes

Political Party

A group of people with similar ideas of how society should be run

Platform

Policies based on a political party’s shared values

Constituency

An area representative of roughly 70,000 people which is represented by an MP in the House of Commons

Constituent

A member of a constituency

Popular Vote

The total votes cast in an election

Majority Government

A government where the party in power earned more than 50% of the seats in the House of Commons

Minority Government

A government where the party in power earned 50% or fewer seats in the House of Commons

First Past the Post

A system where the individual who earned the most votes in their constituency becomes the MP even without a majority

Proportional Representation

A system where the number of seats each party earned is reflective of the popular vote

First Reading

The first step of the law-making process where the bill is read without discussion

Second Reading

The bill is further studied and discussion occurs

Committee Stage

Expert committees are formed, and the bill is further analyzed. Amendments are made.

Report Stage

Suggested amendments are discussed and more amendments are added.

Third Reading

More debating occurs and the bill is accepted or rejected

Royal Assent

After passing through both the House of Commons and the Senate, the Governor General certifies the Bill

Public Bills

Bills that deal with national interest

Government Bills

The most common type of bill that deals with public interest; proposed by Cabinet Ministers

Private Members’ Bills

Bills introduced by MPs which are minimally discussed

Private Bills

Bills that provide special powers and benefits to minorities, mostly introduced in the Senate

Lobbyist

An individual hired to influence MPs and government officials

Consultant Lobbyist

A lobbyist who is typically self-employed or employed by firms who specialize in government relations

In-house Lobbyist

A lobbyist who communicates with public office holders on behalf of the corporation that employed them

Lobbying

The process where individuals articulate interests to government officials to try and influence public policy and decision-making

Federal Accountability Act (FAA)

Rules that require lobbyists to document who they interact with

Media

A mean of mass communication

Slogan

A motto associated with a political party

Parliamentary Press Gallery (PPG)

An association of roughly 350 reporters who cover the decisions and actions of Canada’s Government

Bias

Prejudice towards one thing over another

Minorities

Small groups of people typically discriminated against

Justice

Applying laws

Justice System

The institutions and procedures for applying laws in a society

Fair and Equitable

Governed by rules that apply to everyone, taking into consideration personal needs and circumstances

Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA)

An act which replaced the Young Offenders’ Act which covers the prosecution of youths (12-17) for criminal offences

Young Offenders’ Act (YOA)

The act that was replaced by the YCJA in 2002

Criminal Code of Canada (CCC)

The piece of legislation which defines the consequences for adults (18+) who break the law

Restorative Justice

A system of criminal justice which focuses on the rehabilitation of offenders through reconciliation with victims and the community at large

Retributive Justice

A system of criminal justice based on the punishment of offenders rather than on rehabilitation

Meaningful Consequences

One of the goals of the YCJA with the goal of providing consequences which will promote the long-term protection of society

Rehabilitation

One of the goals of the YCJA with the goal of “restoring” individuals after committing a crime

Reintegration

One of the goals of the YCJA with the goal of successfully fitting youth offenders back into society

Prevent Crime

One of the goals of the YCJA with the goal of minimizing future crimes

Circumstances

One of the considerations when sentencing youth offenders which considers in what situation was the youth in when they committed a crime

Attitude

One of the considerations when sentencing youth offenders which considers how they act after having committed a crime

Severity

One of the considerations when sentencing youth offenders which considers how serious the crime was when it was committed

History

One of the considerations when sentencing youth offenders which considers their past record of crimes committed

Police Diversion

A potential consequences for youth offenders where they are let off with a warning for having committed the crime

Extrajudicial Measures

Consequences, such as community service, that is pursued outside of the justice system

Extrajudicial Sanction

An extrajudicial measure that is mandatory to complete

Crown Counsel

A prosecuting lawyer who works for the Canadian Government

Defence Counsel

A lawyer responsible for defending the youth convicted of the crime

Judge

A public official appointed to decide cases in a court of law

Sentence Hearing

The process to determine an appropriate sentence for youth offenders

Jury

A group of individuals responsible for determining the verdict of a youth criminal

Jurors

The members of a jury

Verdict

The decision made by a judge or jury

Prosecution

The evidence that supports the guilt of the offender

Defence

The evidence that supports the innocence of the offender

Sequester

To remove from outside contact

Oath

A promise that jurors will only use the evidence they have to determine the verdict

Criminal Record

A document which records previously committed crimes

Incarceration

The state of being confined in prison

Open Custody

The state of being incarcerated in a facility with fewer rules and restrictions

Closed Custody

The state of being incarcerated in a facility with numerous strict rules and restrictions

Absolute Discharge

An instance where the offender is found guilty, but they are offered a second chance and their record would be destroyed within a year

Conditional Discharge

A type of discharge where the judge may put conditions for the discharge, such as a set curfew

Restitution

A sentence where the offender is required to pay compensation to the victim(s)

Community Service

The act of providing a service to a community

Probation

An instance where an offender is under the supervision of a youth court worker

Justice Advocacy Groups

Associations independent from the government with the goal of solving and determining the underlying reasons for committing crimes

John Howard Society

A justice advocacy group that deals with all people in trouble with the law

Elizabeth Fry Society

A justice advocacy group that deals with women and girls in trouble with the law

Youth Justice Committee

Committee of individuals with a wide range of worldviews to determine a sentence for a youth criminal

Rights

What individuals and groups are allowed to do in society

Responsibilities

The state of having a duty to fulfill, such as serving as a juror

Constitution

The piece of legislation that dictates how the Canadian Government should be ran