The Big Picture
Canadians have basic rights and freedoms. These protections include freedom, equality, voting rights, the right to enter, stay in, or leave Canada, and protection from discrimination.
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms lists basic rights and freedoms for Canadians. Provinces and territories also have human rights codes that support equal rights and opportunities.
Look for Nova Scotia CCA Notes throughout this page for current provincial guidance.
Quick tip: Tap, click, or press Enter on any term with a dotted underline and an ⓘ icon to see its plain-English definition.
Start Here If You’re Overwhelmed
Focus on these core ideas:
- The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is part of the Canadian Constitution.
- The Charter applies to all Canadians, regardless of where they live.
- Provincial and territorial laws must be consistent with Charter rules.
- Charter protections include important freedoms, voting rights, movement rights, life, liberty, security, and equality.
- Every province and territory also has a human rights code.
- Human rights codes support equal rights and opportunities without discrimination.
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Course Notes: Key Ideas You Need to Know
What the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms Is
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is part of the Canadian Constitution . It lists the basic rights and freedoms to which all Canadians are entitled.
The Charter is federal legislation. Legislation means a body of laws that governs the behaviour of a country’s residents.
The Charter applies to Canadians throughout the country. All provincial and territorial laws must be consistent with its rules.
A right is something to which a person is justly entitled.
Nova Scotia CCA Note
Sorrentino’s Canadian Textbook for the Support Worker, 5th Edition describes the Charter as applying across Canada. In Nova Scotia, the Human Rights Commission adds an important distinction. The Charter applies to government actions and is enforced through the courts. The Nova Scotia Human Rights Act applies in provincially regulated public and private sectors and is administered by the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission. (humanrights.novascotia.ca)
Why this matters in Nova Scotia: Keep the Charter and the Nova Scotia Human Rights Act separate when studying rights. Both protect human rights, but they apply in different ways.
Official source: Legislation | Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission
Last checked: September 1, 2026
Freedoms Protected by the Charter
The Charter includes several basic freedoms.
These include:
- freedom of conscience and religion
- freedom of thought, belief, opinion, and expression
- freedom of peaceful assembly and association
Freedom of peaceful assembly and association is usually connected with the right to form a union or take part in a strike.
Voting and the Right to Enter, Stay in, or Leave Canada
The Charter includes the right to vote.
It also includes the right to:
- enter Canada
- stay in Canada
- leave Canada
These rights form part of the basic protections listed in the Charter.
Life, Liberty, and Security
The Charter includes the right to:
- life
- liberty
- security
The Charter lists life, liberty, and security among its basic protections.
Equality Before and Under the Law
The Charter includes the right to equality before and under the law.
This equality applies without discrimination based on:
- race
- ethnic origin
- colour
- religion
- gender
- age
- mental disability
- physical disability
Key fact: Equality is one of the basic rights protected by the Charter.
Provincial and Territorial Human Rights Codes
Every Canadian province and territory also has a human rights code.
These codes support the principle that all people are entitled to equal rights and opportunities.
One example involves support services. People are entitled to the same type and quality of support services without discrimination because of:
- race
- ethnicity
- religion
- gender
- age
- disability
Nova Scotia CCA Note
Sorrentino gives a short list of discrimination grounds for provincial and territorial human rights protection. In Nova Scotia, the current provincial law is the Nova Scotia Human Rights Act, and its protected-characteristic list is broader.
Current Nova Scotia protections include sex, sexual orientation, family status, marital status, source of income, gender identity, gender expression, political belief, affiliation or activity, and other listed characteristics. The Act also protects access to services and facilities, including provincially funded programs, from discrimination based on protected characteristics . (humanrights.novascotia.ca)
Why this matters in Nova Scotia: Do not treat the short discrimination list in the main notes as the complete current Nova Scotia list.
Official source: For Individuals | Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission
Last checked: September 1, 2026
Charter and Human Rights Codes
The Charter and provincial or territorial human rights codes both address rights and equality, but they are not described as the same thing.
| Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms | Provincial and Territorial Human Rights Codes |
|---|---|
| Part of the Canadian Constitution | Each province and territory has its own code |
| Applies to all Canadians | Reaffirms equal rights and opportunities |
| Lists basic rights and freedoms | Addresses equal treatment without discrimination |
Exam Clue Words
- All Canadians: The Charter applies regardless of where a Canadian lives.
- All provincial and territorial laws: These laws must be consistent with Charter rules.
- Without discrimination: Equality protections specifically reject discrimination based on the listed grounds.
Fast Review
Focus on the legal protections and the differences between the Charter and human rights codes.
- The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is part of the Canadian Constitution.
- The Charter applies to all Canadians regardless of where they live.
- Provincial and territorial laws must be consistent with Charter rules.
- Charter freedoms include conscience, religion, thought, belief, opinion, expression, peaceful assembly, and association.
- The Charter includes the right to vote.
- The Charter includes the right to enter, stay in, or leave Canada.
- The Charter protects life, liberty, and security.
- Equality before and under the law is a Charter right.
- Charter equality protection includes listed grounds such as race, religion, gender, age, and mental or physical disability.
- Every province and territory has a human rights code.
- Human rights codes support equal rights and opportunities without discrimination.
- Equal access includes the same type and quality of support services.
Final Pep Talk
There are several rights to remember, so group them by type instead of trying to memorize one long list. Pay special attention to the difference between the Charter and provincial or territorial human rights codes.