Practice by chapter
The Justice System: practice quiz on courts and police
Ten questions drawn from the justice chapter, each corrected on the spot. Under the quiz, the ladder of courts, who polices where, and the principles that are easy to mix up.
Your score · Canadian citizenship test
0 / 0
0 / 10 answered
Pick an answer to start
| Practice set of 10 questions |
| You can still miss 2 |
Practice questions written by Radif Partners from the facts of the official guide. Not the official test.
The Justice System chapter of Discover Canada is one of the shortest in the guide, yet 15 of the 150 questions in our bank come from it, so it repays an hour of work. It rests on two principles: the presumption of innocence (anyone charged is innocent until a court finds them guilty) and due process (the state must respect every legal right of a person). It then sorts the roles: elected representatives make the laws, judges resolve disputes and police officers see that laws are obeyed, and nobody, judges, politicians and police officers included, is above it. The courts form a ladder: the Supreme Court of Canada at the top, the Federal Court for matters involving the federal government, then provincial appeal and trial courts, with small claims, family and traffic courts below. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police enforces federal laws everywhere and acts as provincial police except in Ontario and Quebec, which have their own forces. Legal aid helps those who cannot afford a lawyer. Lady Justice is blindfolded to show impartiality. These facts are stable and rarely ambiguous, which makes them reliable points toward 15 of 20.
Questions, counts and fees by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How questions and dates are built
Two principles to define precisely
The presumption of innocence and due process are the two phrases that open the chapter, and the test asks for their meaning. The first concerns criminal cases: the accused is innocent until proven guilty in court. The second is broader: the state has to respect all the legal rights a person holds, at every step from arrest to sentence. Do not mix either with habeas corpus, which belongs to the rights chapter and concerns the right to challenge a detention. Our bank holds 15 questions on justice.
| Level | Court | What it handles |
|---|---|---|
| Top | Supreme Court of Canada | final court of appeal |
| Federal | Federal Court of Canada | matters involving the federal government |
| Provincial | Court of appeal | reviews trial court decisions |
| Provincial | Trial court (in some provinces, Court of King’s Bench) | trials |
| Specialized | Family, traffic and small claims courts | family matters, traffic offences, civil disputes over small sums |
Who does what
Laws are written rules that keep order, provide a peaceful way to settle disputes and express the values of Canadians. They are made by the representatives citizens elect to Parliament and to the provincial and territorial legislatures. Judges settle disputes; police officers make sure laws are obeyed and protect people. Prisons punish people convicted of crimes and help deter others, always after a court decision reached with due process. The blindfolded statue of Lady Justice means that laws are applied impartially, whatever a person's wealth, origin or status.
Police forces
The RCMP, Canada's national police, enforces federal laws from the Atlantic to the Arctic; its roots go back to the North West Mounted Police of 1873, covered in the history chapter. It also serves as provincial police in eight provinces and as territorial police in the three territories. Ontario and Quebec run their own provincial police, and cities in every province have municipal forces. You can ask the police for help after an accident, a theft or an assault, when you see a crime, or when someone you know disappears.
Distractors to recognize
"Laws apply to citizens, not to officials." They apply to everyone. "Courts make the laws." Elected representatives do; courts settle disputes. "The Federal Court is the highest court." The Supreme Court is. "The RCMP polices Ontario." Ontario and Quebec have their own provincial police. "A lawyer is always free." Legal aid is free or low-cost for those who qualify; it is not a universal free service.
Next steps
The previous chapter, Federal Elections, explains how lawmakers are chosen; the next, Canadian Symbols, turns to flags, anthems and honours. The legal rights behind due process are in Rights and Responsibilities. Read every justice question with its answer in the question bank, or test all chapters in the timed mock test. Facts summarized from Discover Canada.