Canadian Citizenship: Rights, Freedoms & Responsibilities

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from Pages 8–9 of the Citizenship Study Guide, including sources of law, fundamental freedoms, Charter rights, military and civic responsibilities.

Magna Carta (Great Charter of Freedoms, 1215)

Historic English document that began Canada’s 800-year tradition of ordered liberty and listed basic liberties such as freedom of conscience and religion.

Ordered Liberty

The balance of individual freedoms with social order, an 800-year tradition in Canada tracing back to Magna Carta.

English Common Law

A source of Canadian law based on judicial precedents developed in England.

Civil Code of France

Another source of Canadian law; Quebec’s private-law system is largely derived from this code.

Unwritten Constitution (British Tradition)

Customs and conventions inherited from Great Britain that form part of Canada’s constitutional framework.

Habeas Corpus

The right to challenge unlawful detention by the state, originating in English common law.

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (1982)

Entrenched part of the Constitution that guarantees fundamental freedoms and rights to Canadians.

Supremacy of God and the Rule of Law

Foundational principles cited in the preamble of the Charter, affirming religious heritage and legal equality.

Mobility Rights

Charter-protected rights allowing Canadians to live and work anywhere in Canada, enter and leave freely, and obtain a passport.

Aboriginal Peoples’ Rights

Charter provision ensuring treaty and other rights of First Nations, Inuit and Métis are not diminished.

Official Language Rights

Constitutional guarantee that French and English have equal status in Parliament and federal institutions.

Minority Language Educational Rights

Charter rights enabling English or French linguistic minorities to receive schooling in their language where numbers warrant.

Multiculturalism

Recognized in the Charter as a fundamental characteristic of Canadian heritage, encouraging respect for pluralism.

Canadian Forces (Navy, Army, Air Force)

Regular military services offering careers and a way to contribute to Canada’s defence.

Reserve Forces (Navy, Militia, Air Reserves)

Part-time military units that provide training, skills and community service opportunities.

Cadets

Youth program fostering discipline, responsibility and skills through military-style training.

Equality of Women and Men

Legal principle that men and women have equal rights under Canadian law.

Barbaric Cultural Practices

Acts such as spousal abuse, ‘honour’ killings, female genital mutilation and forced marriage, which are criminal and severely punished in Canada.

Rule of Law

Founding principle that everyone, including government, is subject to the law, not arbitrary power.

Jury Duty

Civic responsibility requiring citizens, when summoned, to serve as impartial jurors in court cases.

Voting Responsibility

Obligation of citizens to participate in federal, provincial/territorial, and municipal elections.

Volunteering

Unpaid service to help others and build community; a valued Canadian responsibility.

Protecting Heritage and Environment

Citizen duty to conserve Canada’s natural, cultural and architectural legacy and reduce waste and pollution.

Self-Reliance

Canadian value of taking responsibility for oneself and one’s family through work and care.