Easy rEfErEncE guidE to thE univErsal dEclaration of human rights

This text is a plain language version of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adapted by the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights

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Adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 10 December 1948 Article 1 Article 2 Article 3 Article 4 Article 5 Article 6 Article 7 Article 8 Article 9 Everyone is born free and equal in dignity and rights. Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms in this Declaration. Everyone has the right to life and to live in freedom and safety. No one can be forced into slavery. No one can be tortured or treated cruelly. Everyone has the right to be treated equally by the law. The law is the same for everyone and should be applied in the same way to everyone. Everyone has the right to ask for legal help when their rights are not respected. No one can be randomly imprisoned or sent away from their own country.

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Article 10 Article 11 Article 12

Everyone has the right to a fair and public trial by an independent court. Everyone should be considered innocent until proved guilty. No one can interfere with someones family, home, privacy or correspondence without good reason. Everyone has the right to be protected from such actions. Everyone has the right to travel wherever they want within their own country. Everyone also has the right to leave their country and to return to it. Everyone has the right to go to another country and ask for protection if they are being mistreated or are in danger. Everyone has the right to belong to a country. No one can be prevented from belonging to another country without good reason.

Article 13

Article 14

Article 15

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Article 16 Article 17 Article 18 All men and women have the right to marry and have a family. Everyone has the right to own property and possessions. Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. Everyone has the right to practice a religion. Everyone also has the right not to practice a religion. Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression. Everyone has the right to peacefully take part in meetings and belong to groups. Everyone has the right to choose to take part in the government of their country. The will of the people is the foundation for the authority of government. The will of the people is expressed in free and fair elections. Everyone has the right to social security and is entitled to economic, social and cultural rights.

Article 19 Article 20 Article 21

Article 22

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Article 23 Everyone has the right to work, the right to equal pay for equal work and the right to a decent income and working conditions. Everyone also has the right to form and to join trade unions. Everyone has the right to have time to relax and have fun. Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for health and wellbeing. Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and help. Everyone has the right to free education. Primary school education should be available to everyone. Everyone should also have access to higher education. Everyone has the right to participate in their communitys cultural life. Everyone has the right to live in a society in which the rights and freedoms in this Declaration are available.

Article 24 Article 25

Article 26

Article 27 Article 28

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Article 29 Article 30 Everyone has a responsibility to ensure that the rights of others are respected. No one has the right to try to take away any of the rights in this Declaration.

This text is a plain language version of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adapted by the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights

The John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights would like to thank the funding support of the Department of Canadian Heritage, Government of Canada in the development and publication of this document.

This document was developed as part of the Human Rights City Edmonton Project, a project that envisions a city where everyone takes responsibility to affirm human dignity and to celebrate differences, and where everyone is included and has access to full membership and participation in the community. Facilitated by the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights, the Human Rights City Project exists to enhance our citys attitudes and capabilities as a community that understands, respects, embraces and advances basic human rights as outlined by the Universal Declaration of Human rights and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

For more information, please contact info@johnhumphreycentre.org or 780.453.2638.

canaDian cHarter of rigHts anD freeDoms

federal and provincial government. 2) Governments were allowed three years to bring their laws into line with section 15 of the Charter. This meant that this section came into effect on April 17, 1985. Section 33 The Federal government and any provincial or territorial government is able to pass laws that take away some rights in the Charter (with clear reasons and acceptance of full responsibility for the consequence of its actions). Citation Section 34 The official name of this part of the Constitution is called the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Section 35 The Charter is the supreme law of Canada, and all laws in Canada must follow the terms of the Charter to be valid.

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protection of individual rights. Parliament and the legislatures can create laws that protect rights beyond the ones listed in the Charter. Section 27 The courts and governments must interpret the Charter in a way that recognizes Canadas multicultural diversity. Section 28 The rights and freedoms in the Charter are guaranteed to males and females equally. Section 29 Religious and separate schools have the right to choose their teachers and students based on their religion. Section 30 The Charter applies equally to all provinces and territories within Canada. Section 31 Nothing in the Charter changes the sharing of responsibilities or the distribution of powers between the provincial and federal governments. Application of Charter Section 32 1) This charter must be applied by both

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Section 21 All language rights in other parts of the constitution must be protected. Section 22 The government is allowed to offer services in languages other than French or English. Section 23 Canadian citizens have the right to have his/ her children educated in either French or English. Enforcement Section 24 Any person who feels that his/her rights or freedoms have been violated by the government can go to court and ask for a remedy. General Section 25 The Charter recognizes the rights of Aboriginal people of Canada in order to protect the culture, customs, traditions and languages of Aboriginal people. Section 26 The Charter is not the only source for

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Official Languages of Canada Section 16 Both English and French are official languages, and given equal status. Section 16.1 The English and French speaking communities in New Brunswick have equal rights, and the government must protect those rights. Section 17 Everyone has the right to use English or French in any debate or proceeding of Parliament. Section 18 All federal laws and those of New Brunswick must be published in both English and French. Section 19 Either English or French may be used in pleadings of federal courts (including the Supreme Court) and the courts of New Brunswick. Section 20 Everyone has the right to communicate with the federal government in either French or English.

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h) Only be charged with a crime once, whether they are found innocent or guilty. i) Be sentenced under the more lenient of two laws, if a change of law occurs before they have been sentenced. Section 12 No one should be subjected to cruel or unusual punishment (the punishment must not be too harsh for the crime). Section 13 Witnesses are protected from having the information given in their testimony used against them. Section 14 Anyone involved in a trial has the right to an interpreter if they do not understand the language, or if they are deaf. Equality Rights Section 15 Every person in Canada (regardless of race, religion, national or ethnic origin, colour, sex, age, or physical or mental disability) is to be considered equal, and is not to be discriminated against.

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before entering someones home). Section 9 Everyone has the right not to be arrested and held in custody without good reason.

Section 10 If arrested, everyone has the right to: a) Know why they have been arrested. b) Seek legal advice from a lawyer. c) Challenge the fairness of the arrest. Section 11 Any person who is charged with an offense has the right to: a) Be told right away exactly what they are being charged with. b) Have his/her trial take place in a reasonable amount of time. c) Not testify in his/her own trial (they cannot be called as a witness). d) Be considered innocent unless proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt. e) Not be denied bail without a good reason. f) Trial by jury if the charges are serious. g) Not be charged with a crime unless what they did was against the law at the time they did it.

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Section 5

There will be a meeting of Parliament and of each legislature at least once every year. Mobility Rights

Section 6

1) Every citizen can enter, stay in and leave Canada as they wish. 2) Every person who is considered a permanent resident of Canada can a) Move to and live in any province. b) Find a job in any province. 3) Provinces can decide who they give social benefits to. 4) If its employment rate is below the national average, a province can create programs that favour its own residents. Legal Rights

Section 7 Section 8

Every Canadian has the right to life, freedom and personal security. Every Canadian has the right to a reasonable expectation of privacy (i.e., anyone acting on behalf of the government must have a warrant

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Guarantee of Rights and Freedoms Section 1 In Canada, we have laws that give rights and freedoms that we feel all Canadians are entitled to possess. Being a multicultural country, our laws preserve the diversity of our races, faiths, and nationalities. Fundamental Freedoms Section 2 Canadians have the freedom to believe what they choose, to express their values, and to form associations. Democratic Rights Section 3 Section 4 Every citizen has the right to vote in public elections. 1) No parliament or legislative assembly can continue to stay in office for longer than five years. 2) Only under extraordinary circumstances, such as war or national emergency, may a government stay in office for longer than five years.

Easy rEfErEncE guidE to thE canadian chartEr of rights frEEdoms

and

This text is a plain language version of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms adapted by the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights