1 Justice System
1.1 Canada’s legal system for criminal matters is based on the presumption of innocence
1.2 Canada’s legal system is based on a heritage that includes the rule of law, freedom under the law, democratic principles, and due process
1.3 Due process is the principle that the government must respect all the legal rights a person is entitled to under the law


2 Courts
2.1 Small Claims Courts where several cases involving relatively small amounts of money are heard
2.2 Traffic courts settle minor driving offences
2.3 Family courts deal with divorce, custody et cetera
2.4 Provincial courts deal with minor offences
2.5 Court of Queen’s Bench or Supreme Court: The majority of provinces have a court for more serious offenses
2.6 There are also provincial appeal courts
2.7 Federal Court of Canada rules on issues related to the federal government
2.8 The highest court in the land is the Supreme Court of Canada


3 Getting legal help
3.1 Lawyers can help you with legal problems and act for you in court
3.2 ‘Legal aid services’ provide free legal services to those who cannot afford to pay a lawyer


4 Police
4.1 The police exist to protect citizens and to make sure the law is followed
4.2 Ontario and Quebec have their own provincial police forces
4.3 All the provinces have municipal police departments
4.4 Federal laws right across Canada are enforced by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)
4.5 RCMP also function as provincial police everywhere except a few municipalities and Ontario and Quebec