📗Citizenship

Citizenship

The Oath

Allegiance to His Majesty King Charles the Third, King of Canada and His Heirs and Successors; to faithfully observe the laws of Canada, including the Constitution; and to fulfil my duties as a Canadian citizen.

Loyalty to a person

We profess loyalty to a person who represents all Canadians — not to a document, a flag or a country.

Four fundamental freedoms

Conscience and religion; thought, belief, opinion and expression including speech and the press; peaceful assembly; and association.

Six responsibilities

Obeying the law; taking responsibility for oneself and one's family; serving on a jury; voting in elections; helping others in the community; and protecting our heritage and environment.

Magna Carta

Signed in 1215 in England, also called the Great Charter of Freedoms — the source of an 800-year tradition of ordered liberty.

Habeas corpus

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

The Charter

Entrenched in 1982. It opens: "Whereas Canada is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of God and the rule of law."

Charter rights

Mobility Rights; Aboriginal Peoples' Rights; Official Language and Minority Language Educational Rights; and Multiculturalism.

The rule of law

Individuals and governments alike are regulated by laws, not by arbitrary actions. No person or group is above the law.

Equality of women and men

Men and women are equal under the law. Barbaric cultural practices are crimes, and those guilty are severely punished.

The language requirement

Applicants aged 18 to 54 need adequate knowledge of English or French — one, not both. Those 55 and over are exempt and do not write the test.

The test

Usually written, but could be an interview. It tests knowledge of Canada and of the rights and responsibilities of citizenship and adequate knowledge of English or French.

At the ceremony

Take the Oath of Citizenship; sign the oath form; and receive your Canadian Citizenship Certificate.

Jury duty

When called, you are legally required to serve. The justice system depends on impartial juries made up of citizens.

Defending Canada

There is no compulsory military service. The regular Canadian Forces are the navy, army and air force; you may also serve in the reserves, the Coast Guard or emergency services.

Due process

The government must respect all the legal rights a person is entitled to. Criminal justice rests on the presumption of innocence — innocent until proven guilty.