The Canadian Justice System Explained

Canada's justice system protects individual rights while maintaining law and order. It's based on British common law (and civil law in Quebec).

The Court System

Supreme Court of Canada: The highest court. 9 justices, by convention 3 from Quebec. Final court of appeal.

Federal Court and Federal Court of Appeal: Handle federal matters (immigration, intellectual property, etc.).

Provincial/Territorial Courts: Most criminal and civil cases start here. Superior courts handle more serious cases. Courts of Appeal review lower court decisions.

Criminal vs Civil Law

Criminal law is federal and deals with offences against society (theft, assault, etc.). The Crown prosecutes, and the standard of proof is "beyond a reasonable doubt."

Civil law deals with disputes between individuals or organizations (contracts, property, etc.). The standard is "balance of probabilities."

Rights of the Accused

The Charter guarantees: presumption of innocence, right to a lawyer, right to a fair trial within a reasonable time, right to a jury trial for serious offences, protection against unreasonable search and seizure.

Police

The RCMP is the national police force. Provinces have their own police (OPP in Ontario, SQ in Quebec). Most cities have municipal police forces.

Practice justice system questions.