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Social Studies 9

Social Studies 9 · Worksheets

The justice system

Ten questions of mixed difficulty, covering Justice. Print it, or work through it on screen — the answer key starts on its own page.

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The justice system

Social Studies 9 · maddyhelps.com

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Circle the best answer for each question. Use the space to note the reasoning or the source detail that decided it.

  1. A local news report: "Only 30 of the 200 people summoned for jury duty showed up this week, so a trial was postponed by a month." Which right of the accused is most directly put at risk?

    1. a) To be free from unreasonable search
    2. b) To contact a lawyer without delay
    3. c) To be tried within a reasonable time
    4. d) To be presumed innocent until proven guilty

  2. Which of these is a legal duty for Canadian citizens, not just a good idea?

    1. a) Serving on a jury when summoned, unless excused
    2. b) Voting in every federal and provincial election
    3. c) Volunteering with a victim services group
    4. d) Joining a political party or lobby group

  3. A 16-year-old charged with spray-painting a city underpass: "I didn't know graffiti was a crime. I thought it was art, so I shouldn't be charged." Which idea about citizens and the law does this case show?

    1. a) Not knowing a law is no defence, so people must learn it
    2. b) Only adults are expected to know and follow the law
    3. c) No one can be charged under a law they had never heard of
    4. d) Art on public property is protected as free expression

  4. A police report: "A 14-year-old caught shoplifting a phone case for the first time was given a warning and referred to a community program instead of being charged." This is an example of

    1. a) an adult sentence under the Criminal Code
    2. b) a custody sentence in a youth facility
    3. c) a civil lawsuit brought by the store
    4. d) an extrajudicial measure under the YCJA

  5. A news brief: "A Lethbridge homeowner is suing a roofing company for $18 000, saying her new roof leaked within a month." What kind of case is this?

    1. a) A youth case, heard under the YCJA
    2. b) A criminal case, since the roofing company broke a law
    3. c) A constitutional case, heard by the Supreme Court
    4. d) A civil case, decided on a balance of probabilities

  6. The Youth Criminal Justice Act applies to young people who were what age when the offence happened?

    1. a) 10 to 17
    2. b) 12 to 21
    3. c) 14 to 18
    4. d) 12 to 17

  7. A report: "When police arrested Tyler, they told him why he was being arrested and that he could call a lawyer right away." Which Charter right were the police respecting?

    1. a) The right to an interpreter (section 14)
    2. b) Protection from cruel punishment (section 12)
    3. c) Protection from unreasonable search (section 8)
    4. d) Rights on arrest or detention (section 10)

  8. A letter to the editor: "In some American states, voters elect their judges. Canada should do the same, so judges have to follow what the public wants." Which principle of Canada's justice system does this proposal most directly challenge?

    1. a) Party discipline
    2. b) Judicial independence
    3. c) The presumption of innocence
    4. d) Responsible government

  9. Speaker 1, a youth worker: "A first-time youth offender needs a coach, not a cell." Speaker 2, a victims' advocate: "When a teen commits a violent crime, victims deserve real consequences and the public deserves to know who did it." Which statement is most accurate?

    1. a) Speaker 1 wants adult sentences; Speaker 2, warnings instead
    2. b) Both want the YCJA replaced by the adult justice system
    3. c) Speaker 1 stresses rehabilitation; Speaker 2, accountability
    4. d) Both agree young offenders should be publicly named

  10. From a community agency's brochure: "Our volunteers visit people in prison, help them find housing and work after release, and speak to lawmakers about prison conditions." The agency's work is best described as

    1. a) deciding guilt or innocence as members of a jury
    2. b) enforcing court orders as officers of the justice system
    3. c) prosecuting people accused of crimes on behalf of the Crown
    4. d) advocacy and support for people in conflict with the law

Answer key · The justice system

Social Studies 9 · maddyhelps.com

  1. c) To be tried within a reasonable time — When too few citizens answer a summons, trials are postponed, and section 11(b) of the Charter guarantees anyone charged a trial within a reasonable time. The right to a lawyer "without delay" is about calling counsel after an arrest, not about when the trial is held.
  2. a) Serving on a jury when summoned, unless excused — A jury summons is a legal order, and ignoring it without being excused can bring a penalty. Voting is a right and a civic responsibility, but Canada, unlike Australia, does not make it compulsory.
  3. a) Not knowing a law is no defence, so people must learn it — Canadian law does not accept "I didn't know" as a defence, which is why knowing the law is a citizen's responsibility. Freedom of expression does not cover damaging property that belongs to someone else, and the YCJA holds 12- to 17-year-olds accountable too.
  4. d) an extrajudicial measure under the YCJA — Extrajudicial measures (warnings, cautions and referrals to community programs) deal with minor offences outside court, and the YCJA prefers them when they are enough to hold a youth accountable. No court was involved, so this cannot be a sentence of any kind.
  5. d) A civil case, decided on a balance of probabilities — A dispute between private parties over money or a contract is civil law, and the homeowner must show her claim is more likely true than not. A case becomes criminal only when the Crown charges someone with an offence, such as fraud.
  6. d) 12 to 17 — A child under 12 cannot be charged with a crime in Canada, and from 18 the adult system applies. What counts is the age on the day of the offence, not the age at the trial.
  7. d) Rights on arrest or detention (section 10) — Section 10 gives anyone arrested or detained the right to be told the reason promptly and to contact a lawyer without delay. Section 8 is about searches of a person or property, which the report never mentions.
  8. b) Judicial independence — Canadian judges are appointed and very hard to remove so that they can decide cases on the law and the evidence, even when a ruling is unpopular. The writer wants judges to answer to voters, which is exactly the pressure judicial independence exists to prevent.
  9. c) Speaker 1 stresses rehabilitation; Speaker 2, accountability — Speaker 1 wants help that turns a youth around; Speaker 2 wants firm consequences and the offender's name made public. The YCJA tries to balance both values and already allows adult sentences and naming in some serious cases, so Speaker 2 is arguing about how often, not for a new system.
  10. d) advocacy and support for people in conflict with the law — Speaking to lawmakers is advocacy, and helping people return to the community supports the justice system from outside government. Crown prosecutors and police are part of the system itself, and a volunteer agency does neither job.