Supreme Court of Canada

High school (ages 12+)
People & Society

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/supreme-court-of-canada

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the location?301 Wellington Street, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
2. What is the constitutional role?Interprets the Constitution, including the Charter of Rights and Freedoms
3. Why does the Supreme Court only hear a few cases each year?The Court chooses only a few cases each year because it wants to focus on the most important legal questions, constitutional issues, or matters that affect the whole country. This helps it develop the law and solve complex disputes.
4. How does the Supreme Court use both English and French laws?The Court works with both English common law and French civil law. Its judges understand both systems, especially when cases come from Quebec, which follows civil law. The Court speaks and writes in both English and French.

Jurisprudence: The theory or philosophy of law; the body of law created by judicial decisions.
Precedent: A legal principle established by a court decision that serves as a rule for future cases.
Bijural System: A legal system that incorporates two distinct legal traditions, such as Canada's common law and civil law.