The Justice System: Canadian Citizenship Test Questions

Q1.What is the highest court in Canada?

• The Federal Court
• The Supreme Court of Canada
• The Court of King's Bench
• The House of Commons

Answer: The Supreme Court of Canada is the country's highest court. It has nine judges appointed by the Governor General.

Q2.Canada's justice system rests on the presumption of innocence. What does this mean?

• Everyone is guilty until proven innocent
• Everyone is innocent until proven guilty
• Only citizens get a trial
• Judges decide guilt before trial

Answer: In criminal cases, everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty. This presumption is a foundation of our justice system.

Q3.In which two provinces does the RCMP NOT serve as the provincial police force?

• Alberta and British Columbia
• Ontario and Quebec
• Nova Scotia and New Brunswick
• Manitoba and Saskatchewan

Answer: The RCMP serves as the provincial police in every province and territory except Ontario and Quebec, which have their own provincial forces.

Q4.In Canada, are you allowed to ask questions about a police officer's service or conduct?

• No, that is illegal
• Yes — almost all police forces have a process for raising concerns
• Only with a lawyer present
• Only if you are a citizen

Answer: Yes. You may ask questions about the service or conduct of the police, and almost all police forces have a way to raise concerns and seek action.

Q5.What principle means that the law applies equally to everyone, judges, politicians and police included?

• Federalism
• The rule of law
• Habeas corpus
• Responsible government

Answer: The rule of law is a founding principle: laws govern both individuals and governments, and no person or group stands above the law.

Q6.What role do the courts play in Canada?

• To make laws
• To settle disputes and apply the law fairly
• To enforce laws on the street
• To collect taxes

Answer: The courts settle disputes and apply the law; the police enforce the law; and elected representatives make the laws.

Q7.What is the role of the police in Canada?

• To make the laws
• To keep people safe and enforce the law
• To settle lawsuits between citizens
• To collect federal taxes

Answer: The police keep people safe and enforce the law; they are there to protect people and their property.

Q8.If you are arrested or detained in Canada, what is one of your rights?

• To be told only after 24 hours why you were arrested
• To know promptly why you were arrested and to get a lawyer
• To leave whenever you wish
• To refuse to give your name forever

Answer: If arrested, you have the right to be told promptly the reason, to retain and instruct a lawyer without delay, and to be informed of that right.

Q9.What is the full name of Canada's national police force, the RCMP?

• Royal Canadian Mounted Police
• Royal Canadian Military Police
• Regional Canadian Mounted Patrol
• Royal Crown Municipal Police

Answer: The RCMP stands for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Canada's national police force.

Q10.True or False: In Canada you can be detained or imprisoned by the government without a fair hearing.

• True
• False

Answer: False. Canadians are guaranteed the right not to be arbitrarily detained or imprisoned, and to a fair and public hearing by an independent court.

Q11.At which level of government are most municipal (local) police forces organized?

• The federal government
• The city or town
• The United Nations
• The Supreme Court

Answer: Many cities and towns have their own municipal police forces serving the local community, alongside provincial and federal policing.

Q12.In a Canadian criminal trial, who must prove that the accused is guilty?

• The accused person
• The defence lawyer
• The state (the prosecution)
• The jury

Answer: Because of the presumption of innocence, the burden is on the state to prove a person's guilt; the accused does not have to prove innocence.

Q13.What does it mean that Canada has an independent, impartial judiciary?

• Judges are elected by voters
• Judges decide cases free from political interference
• Judges also write the laws
• Judges report to the Prime Minister

Answer: An independent judiciary means judges apply the law impartially, free from political pressure, ensuring fair treatment for all.

Q14.Who is responsible for making (passing) the laws in Canada?

• The police
• The courts and judges
• Elected representatives in Parliament and the legislatures
• The RCMP Commissioner

Answer: Elected representatives in Parliament and the provincial and territorial legislatures pass the laws; courts apply them and police enforce them.

Q15.True or False: Canadian law treats men and women as equals.

• True
• False

Answer: True. Women and men have the same rights under Canadian law and are entitled to equal treatment by governments and in society.

Q16.Which of these is a responsibility of citizens that helps the justice system work?

• Serving on a jury when called
• Appointing judges
• Writing new criminal laws
• Commanding the police

Answer: Serving on a jury when called is a responsibility of citizenship; it makes the justice system work, as people are tried by a jury of their peers.

Q17.In addition to enforcing the law, what else are the police expected to do?

• Decide criminal sentences
• Treat everyone fairly and according to the law
• Pass municipal bylaws
• Choose Supreme Court judges

Answer: The police keep people safe and must themselves obey the law; they are expected to treat everyone fairly.

Q18.Which founding principle holds that there is one law for all, and that society is based on ordered liberty rather than the whims of those in power?

• Free enterprise
• The rule of law
• Multiculturalism
• Bilingualism

Answer: The rule of law means society runs on orderly rules everyone must follow, including those who govern, not the arbitrary will of rulers.

Q19.How many judges sit on the Supreme Court of Canada?

• Five
• Seven
• Nine
• Twelve

Answer: The Supreme Court of Canada is the final court of appeal and has nine judges.

Q20.Where would a minor dispute, such as a small traffic violation, most likely be handled?

• The Supreme Court of Canada
• A provincial or territorial court
• The House of Commons
• The Senate

Answer: Provincial and territorial courts handle most everyday matters; the Supreme Court is reserved as the final court of appeal for the most important cases.

Q21.If you need a lawyer but cannot afford one, where can you usually get help?

• Legal aid services, free or at low cost
• A judge of the Supreme Court of Canada
• Your member of Parliament's office
• The front desk of a police station

Answer: Lawyers can advise you on legal problems and represent you in court. In most communities, people who cannot pay a lawyer can get legal aid at no cost or for a small fee.

Q22.What does the principle of due process mean?

• Every citizen must vote in every election
• Everyone must pay their taxes within thirty days
• Government must respect all of a person's legal rights
• Courts must decide every case within a month

Answer: Due process means the government must respect all the legal rights a person has under the law. In criminal matters, for example, everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Q23.Which court hears cases involving the federal government?

• A provincial small claims court
• The Federal Court of Canada
• A provincial family court
• A municipal traffic court

Answer: The Federal Court of Canada hears matters that involve the federal government. The Supreme Court of Canada is the country's highest court, and the provinces also have family, traffic and small claims courts.

Q24.Which court handles civil cases about small amounts of money?

• The Supreme Court of Canada
• The Federal Court of Canada
• A traffic court
• A small claims court

Answer: Small claims courts handle civil cases about small amounts of money. The provinces also have courts for lesser offences, family courts and traffic courts.

Q25.In most provinces, what are the two main courts?

• A senate court and a people's court
• A military court and a church court
• An appeal court and a trial court
• A federal court and a city court

Answer: Most provinces have an appeal court and a trial court; the trial court is sometimes called the Court of King's Bench or the Supreme Court of the province. Lesser offences, family matters, traffic cases and small claims go to other provincial courts.

Q26.Besides serving as the provincial police in most provinces, what does the RCMP do?

• Enforces federal laws throughout Canada
• Writes Canada's criminal laws
• Runs the Supreme Court of Canada
• Elects the members of Parliament

Answer: The RCMP enforces federal laws in every part of Canada. It also acts as the provincial police in every province and territory except Ontario and Quebec, which have their own provincial forces, and in some municipalities.

Q27.In which of these situations should you ask the police for help?

• You want to apply for a Canadian passport
• Someone you know has gone missing
• You need to renew your health card
• You want to file your income tax return

Answer: The police keep people safe and enforce the law. You can ask them for help after an accident, a theft or an assault, if you witness a crime, or when a person close to you is missing.

Q28.What does the blindfold on the statue of Lady Justice represent?

• That judges work only at night
• That trials are always held in secret
• That justice should take its time
• That laws are applied impartially

Answer: The blindfolded Lady Justice stands for the impartial way Canada's laws are administered: blind to everything except the facts.

Q29.Which of these is a purpose of Canada's laws?

• To keep order and settle disputes peacefully
• To protect the government from criticism
• To give judges the power to make new laws
• To make sure every citizen earns the same income

Answer: Canada's laws, written rules made by elected representatives, are meant to keep order in society and to let people settle disputes peacefully. They also reflect what Canadians value and believe.

Q30.Which principle is part of the heritage on which Canada's legal system is based?

• Rule by royal decree
• Trial by combat
• Freedom under the law
• Secret laws

Answer: Canada's legal system draws on a long heritage: freedom under the law, the rule of law, democratic principles and due process, which means the government must respect a person's legal rights.