Question 1

In a 2011 national survey of Canadian transgender high school students, 74 percent of respondents reported experiencing verbal harassment at school from other students and teachers.

Accepted Answer

The 2011 national survey indeed found that a significant majority of Canadian transgender high school students reported experiencing verbal harassment at school, highlighting the challenges faced by transgender youth in educational environments.

Question 2

The Canadian Human Rights Commission has noted that transgender persons typically face high levels of discrimination.

Accepted Answer

The Canadian Human Rights Commission has indeed noted that transgender persons face high levels of discrimination, including in areas such as employment, healthcare, and access to services, reflecting broader societal challenges in ensuring equality and protection for transgender individuals.

Question 3

It was not until 2016 that the federal Liberal government introduced Bill C-16 to give protections to transgender Canadians.

Accepted Answer

Bill C-16 was introduced by the federal Liberal government in 2016 to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code, adding gender identity and gender expression to the list of prohibited grounds of discrimination, thereby extending protections to transgender Canadians.

Question 4

In our current system of criminal justice, neither disparity nor discrimination is to be the result of any court decision.

Accepted Answer

Disparity and discrimination can still occur in the criminal justice system due to various factors such as implicit bias, systemic inequalities, and socio-economic differences.

Question 5

Case attrition with respect to the funnel of our criminal justice system refers to who should and who should not continue to the next stage of the system.

Accepted Answer

Case attrition refers to the process where cases are filtered out of the criminal justice system at various stages, determining which cases proceed and which do not.

Question 6

Legal protections for transgender people in Canada have been minimal.

Accepted Answer

Legal protections for transgender people in Canada have been minimal, with no federal legislation specifically addressing transgender rights.

Question 7

In its study of the treatment of Indigenous peoples in the criminal justice system in Manitoba, the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry found evidence of systemic discrimination across the province.

Accepted Answer

The Aboriginal Justice Inquiry, established in response to concerns about the treatment of Indigenous peoples in Manitoba's criminal justice system, indeed found evidence of systemic discrimination across the province.

Question 8

Recent changes in the Canadian Criminal Code have led to the criminalization of certain types of acts against transgender individuals.

Accepted Answer

Canada has made amendments to its Criminal Code to include gender identity and gender expression as prohibited grounds of discrimination, thereby criminalizing acts of hate propaganda, hate crimes, and discrimination against transgender individuals.

Question 9

An alternative approach to explaining the processing of cases through the criminal justice system is referred to as the criminal justice funnel.

Accepted Answer

The criminal justice funnel is a concept that illustrates how the number of criminal cases decreases as they progress through the stages of the criminal justice system, from initial contact with law enforcement to the final stage of sentencing or release, highlighting the filtering process that occurs at each step.

Question 10

In Canada today, issues involving substantive justice are more common than those involving procedural justice.

Accepted Answer

Issues involving procedural justice, which concerns the fairness and the transparency of the processes by which decisions are made, are as common, if not more so, than those involving substantive justice, which focuses on the fairness of the laws themselves. Both types of justice issues are prevalent in Canada, addressing different aspects of the legal and societal framework.

Question 11

An increase in the number of charges or increase to the sentence is usually seen when an accused pleads guilty.

Accepted Answer

An increase in the number of charges or an increase to the sentence is usually not seen when an accused pleads guilty. In fact, pleading guilty often leads to a reduction in charges or a lighter sentence as part of a plea bargain.

Question 12

A key aspect of Bill C-16 was that it proposed to amend the Criminal Code to include both "gender identity" and "gender expression" as grounds for hate crimes.

Accepted Answer

Bill C-16, passed in Canada, amended the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code to add gender identity and gender expression to the list of prohibited grounds for discrimination, including hate speech and hate crimes.

Question 13

When a police officer discriminates against members of a certain social class by arresting them in all circumstances while only giving warnings to all others, it is an example of individual discrimination.

Accepted Answer

This scenario describes individual discrimination because it involves actions taken by an individual (in this case, a police officer) to treat members of a certain social class differently and unfairly compared to others.

Question 14

In a 2011 national survey of Canadian transgender high school students, 37 percent of respondents reported that they had experienced physical assault.

Accepted Answer

The 2011 national survey indeed found that 37 percent of Canadian transgender high school students reported experiencing physical assault due to their gender expression.

Question 15

Contextual discrimination refers to the effects or outcomes of discriminatory actions.

Accepted Answer

Contextual discrimination refers to discrimination that occurs within a specific context or situation, rather than the outcomes or effects of discriminatory actions.

Question 16

Substantive justice is concerned with the appropriateness of a case.

Accepted Answer

Substantive justice focuses on the fairness and appropriateness of the laws and the outcomes of legal cases, ensuring that the laws themselves are just and equitable.

Question 17

Disparity refers to the differential treatment of individuals based upon negative judgments.

Accepted Answer

Disparity refers to a difference or inequality in age, rank, wages, etc., but does not inherently imply negative judgment or treatment based on those differences.

Question 18

Disparity refers to a difference, and always includes discrimination.

Accepted Answer

Disparity refers to a difference or inequality, but it does not always imply discrimination, as disparities can exist due to a variety of factors not necessarily related to unfair treatment.

Question 19

When a judge sentences the members of one racial minority group more harshly when they victimize the members of another racial group, but less severely when they victimize a member of their own racial group, it is an example of contextual discrimination.

Accepted Answer

Contextual discrimination occurs when the severity of a sentence is influenced by the race or ethnicity of the victim in relation to the perpetrator, leading to disparities in sentencing based on the racial context of the crime.

Question 20

When a police service fails to enforce a certain law, it is an example of contextual discrimination.

Accepted Answer

Contextual discrimination occurs when a law is enforced in a discriminatory manner, such as when a police service fails to enforce a certain law against a particular group of people.

Quiz 1: An Overview of the Criminal Justice System in Canada