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1240 BCE
Mosaic Law
Moses gets laws from god that are engraved on two stones(the 10 commandments). Mosaic law followed the concept of retribution which means that there should be a punishment for every crime. It also introduced restitution which means that a victim is compensated for a wrong that was done to them. Canadian law uses restitution as a common punishment. -
1200
Common Law
Common Law was developed by the English in the 1200’s. Judges began deciding similar cases should have similar punishments. They started writing these cases down and it was known as case law. Colonists brought this law system to North America. Currently Canadian courts still follow this system with lawyers using precedent cases (an example of a similar case) to try to persuade judges to make a similar decision. -
1215
Magna Carta
Magna Carta means Great Charter. It was a principle (rule of law) that states rulers are to obey the law and that they couldn’t change or restrict people’s freedom and legal rights without reason or consent. The nobility in England forced King John to sign it as he thought he was above the law and abused his power. The Magna Carta also gave the accused the right to appear in front of a court in a reasonable amount of time. This right is currently in Canada’s Charter Of Rights. -
1265
Parliament/ Statute Law
Dates: 1265-1665
Nobles in England wanted to have more power and wanted the monarch to have less power. They formed a parliament which was a group of people from different parts of the country to help make and pass laws. These laws are called statutes. Canadian laws are made up of statutes laws and common laws. Common laws are created in courts and statute laws are created and voted on by parliament. -
Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau helped create the Constitution Act,1982. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is part of the Constitution Act. The Charter is a constitutional law that lists all of the civil rights and freedoms for all Canadians at every level of government. It also details the enforcement of these rights and freedoms. As a constitutional law, you can only change it by having the federal government and 2/3 of provinces with 50% of the population agreeing to change it.
