1. Canada’s Legal System
Grade 9 Social Studies

2. Laws keep order and set expectations for how people should behave.
What is Law?
Laws keep order and set expectations for how people should behave.
Unlike rules, laws are created by the government to establish peace and social order

3. The Five Parts of Canada’s Legal System
1. Citizens
2. Governments
3. Police
4. Courts
5. Prisons
The Five Parts of Canada’s Legal System

4. Citizens Elect the government Possess rights protected by law
Are responsible for obeying the law

5. Governments Make the laws Set down punishment for crimes
Ensure order for society
Guarantee the rights of the individual

6. Police Enforce the laws Try to prevent crimes from happening
Catch those who break the law
Federal – RCMP
Provincial
Municipal

7. RCMP = Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Enforce laws in Canada
Sometimes groups of officers are assigned a particular department (ie. Narcotics control act)
Polices 8/10 provinces + NWT
Ontario and Quebec have their own police forces, (Ontario Provincial Police...OPP)
Local or Municipal – serve counties, towns, cities and reserves.

8. When making an arrest, the police must:
Obtain a warrant (unless the person is committing a crime)
Identify themselves as police officers
Avoid using more force than necessary
Tell people why they are being arrested
Tell people they don’t have to make a statement and if they do, their statement can used against them in a court.
Tell people they have a right to talk to a lawyer without delay.
Both police and suspects have rights

9. Types of Offenses:
1. Indictable offense – serious, murder, arson, etc. – jail time. (Court of Queen’s Bench)
2. Summary Conviction – maximum penalty is $2000, 6 months in jail or both. (Provincial Court)
Examples of summary convictions: nudity, causing a disturbance, trespassing, unlawful assembly (riot), etc.

10. YOA – Youth Offenders Act
Deals with offenders under the age of 18.

11. Courts Interpret the law
Decide whether alleged offenders are guilty or innocent
Decide what punishment convicted offenders will face

12. Prisons Carry out the punishments decided by the courts
Try to rehabilitate criminals so they will not commit crimes again
Protect the public from criminals
Headingley Correctional Centre – minimal, medium, and maximum security for a population of 549 males

13. Prison System 3 functions: If sentence is 3 months or less = jail
Maximum Security
Medium Security
Minimum Security
Dangerous prisoners (murder)
Not very dangerous
Not a danger
3 functions:
i) rehabilitate – learn appropriate behavior
ii) retribution – pay back for their crime
iii) deterrence – deter or prevent from doing crime again.
If sentence is 3 months or less = jail
If sentence is 3 months to 2 years = provincial prison
If sentence is greater than 2 years = federal penitentiary