Deck 12: Constitutions, Courts, and Laws

Question 1

Which of the following rights are not included in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms?

A) the rights of Aboriginal peoples
B) equality rights
C) the right to education
D) language rights

Answer 1

C

Question 2

The Meech Lake Accord failed because the changes it proposed were not supported by provincial legislatures in _______.

A) Newfoundland and Manitoba
B) Ontario and BC
C) Quebec and Newfoundland
D) Prince Edward Island

Answer 2

A

Question 3

The ______________ was a proposed amendment to the Canadian Constitution that included recognition of the inherent right of Aboriginals to self-government and major changes to the Senate.

A) Constitution Act, 1867
B) Constitution Act, 1982
C) Meech Lake Accord
D) Charlottetown Accord

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Equality rights guarantee freedom from discrimination on the basis of race, religion, gender, age and ________.

A) education
B) seniority
C) ethnicity
D) wealth

Question 5

Canada's anti-terrorism legislation adopted in 2001 permits ________.

A) detainment of suspects for 72 hours without a charge being laid
B) lawyers to charge exorbitant fees to non-citizens
C) suspected terrorists to be held without charge at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
D) non-citizens to be subjected to torture if there is a clear danger of terrorist attacks

Question 6

The notwithstanding clause in Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms ________.

A) has been used frequently
B) gives the courts the final responsibility for controversial decisions
C) covers all aspects of the Charter
D) can only be applied to legislation for five years, unless the declaration is renewed

Question 7

______________ is based on the use of precedents to determine the outcome of a particular case.

A) Codified law
B) International law
C) Sharia law
D) Common law

Question 8

Which one of the following is the core element of the Canadian constitution?

A) The Clarity Act
B) The Constitution Act, 1867
C) The Meech Lake Accord
D) The Act of Union

Question 9

Which of the following countries does NOT have a codified constitution?

A) The United Kingdom
B) The United States
C) Canada
D) Japan

Question 10

Which system of law is based on a comprehensive set of principles rather than judgments that have accumulated over centuries?

A) Codified law
B) International law
C) Common law
D) Private law

Question 11

Which provincial government objected to the Constitution Act, 1982?

A) Ontario
B) Quebec
C) Newfoundland
D) Alberta

Question 12

In the United States, Supreme Court judges are ________.

A) elected by voters
B) chosen by the Electoral College
C) elected by the Senate and confirmed by the President
D) chosen by the President subject to confirmation by the Senate

Question 13

A constitutional ________ is a fundamental principle that is consistently followed even though it is not contained in a legal document and is not generally enforceable in the courts.

A) belief
B) change
C) convention
D) amendment

Question 14

In Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the right to vote is an example of ________.

A) freedom of expression
B) democratic rights
C) social rights
D) equality rights

Question 15

Supreme Court of Canada judges are appointed ________.

A) on the recommendation of Parliamentary Committees
B) by an agreement between the Prime Minister and Premiers
C) on the recommendation of the Prime Minister
D) by the Canadian Judicial Council

Question 16

Section 1 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms declares that the government may limit rights when it is 'demonstrably justified'. This clause is termed the ________ clause.

A) economic rights
B) rights protection
C) federalism
D) reasonable limits

Question 17

Constitutional government is one that ________.

A) prescribes in great detail the exact workings of each government institution
B) consistently acts in accordance with fundamental rules and principles
C) is consistently recognized by other countries as being democratic
D) has a codified and written constitutional document

Question 18

In the United States, the set of amendments to the constitution that concern rights and freedoms is called the ______________.

A) Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms
B) Basic Law
C) Bill of Rights
D) Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen

Question 19

Which among the following is included among the rights protected by the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights?

A) freedom to travel
B) freedom of speech
C) physical and mental health
D) right to vote

Question 20

The premier of which province threatened to use the "notwithstanding" clause to prevent the legalization of same-sex marriages?

A) Nova Scotia
B) Quebec
C) Ontario
D) Alberta

Question 21

A constitution establishes the fundamental rules and principles by which a state is governed.

Question 22

What are four basic elements by which we can analyze a constitution?

Question 23

The International Court of Justice is also known as the _____________.

A) Rome Statute
B) Hague
C) International Criminal Court
D) World Court

Question 24

The United States (1787) and France (1789) pioneered the use of unwritten constitutions.

Question 25

What international institution was permanently established in 2002 to deal with the most serious cases involving war crimes and crimes against humanity?

A) International Criminal Court
B) Rome Statute
C) European Court of Human Rights
D) World Court

Question 26

What is meant by judicial activism?

Question 27

The Constitution Act, 1867, was originally known as the British Empire Act.

Question 28

The Ontario government banned arbitration based on religious law such as Sharia in 2005.

Question 29

The original Canadian constitution, the Constitution Act, 1867, did not explicitly protect most rights and freedoms.

Question 30

Many judges in the United States are elected rather than appointed.

Question 31

Common law is used in _________.

A) France
B) Quebec
C) England
D) Saudi Arabia

Question 32

Parliamentary sovereignty has been the basic principle of the American system of governing.

Question 33

The Nuremberg trials were convened to try war crimes committed in the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s.

Question 34

What are three main functions of a constitution?

Question 35

Parliamentary committees in Canada have the power to reject or accept nominees for the Federal Supreme Court.

Question 36

Explain why the notwithstanding clause was added to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and briefly discuss when it has been invoked in Canada.

Question 37

What are three important changes brought about by Canada's Constitution Act, 1982?

Question 38

Common law is a system of laws that is ________.

A) more understandable
B) based on court judgments
C) codified into a unified law
D) focused only on private matters

Question 39

Sharia law is based on the __________.

A) Quran
B) Bible
C) Jewish texts
D) Bhagavad Gita

Question 40

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms allows the courts to invalidate legislation that violates the Charter.

Question 41

Briefly discuss the arguments surrounding judicial activism with reference to arguments from both sides

Question 42

Have governments gone too far in taking strong measures to deal with terrorism?

Question 43

Discuss the basis for international law and describe the function of its central institutions.