Canada is a free and democratic society committed to the rule of law.

The Canadian Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms guarantees that people in Canada cannot be arbitrarily stopped, detained, arrested, searched, harassed, questioned by police

or compelled to explain themselves at the discretion of state authorities including the police. Our laws of criminal evidence and procedure set Canada apart from countries ruled as dictatorships or totalitarian states.

In Canada, the state's right to prosecute criminal activity is tempered by the state's obligation to respect the rights of an accused to be prosecuted in accordance with due process and respect for the rights guaranteed by the Canadian Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms. The Canadian Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms guarantees your right to remain silent when confronted by police and your right to immediately consult with and retain a lawyer upon your detention or arrest.

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