CANADA  [1]

 

General Information

Canada has ten provinces: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Québec and Saskatchewan; and three territories: Nunavut, the Northwest Territories and the Yukon. In 2004 Canada’s population was 31,946,300 [2].  Per capita income in 2003 was US$23,930,[3] up from US$20,290 in 1997. The country’s GDP increased from US$714.3 billion in 2002  [4]to US$834.4 billion in 2003. [5]  In December 2004 the unemployment rate dropped 0.3% to 7%, its lowest level since May 2001.  [6]  In terms of religious groups, the largest part of Canada’s population is Roman Catholic (46%), 36% are Protestants (36%), with the remaining 18% distributed among other categories. Twenty-eight percent of inhabitants are of British origin, 28% of French and 15% of other European backgrounds. Two percent are Amerindian and 6% are of Asian, African or Arabian descent.

Canada has a federal government system, with both the Government of Canada and the provincial governments empowered to pass new laws. The federal government deals with matters that affect the entire country, such as the Criminal Code, inter-provincial commerce, telecommunications, immigration and extradition, and fisheries. The provinces enact laws in areas such as education, property rights and health services.

The official languages are English and French
 

Judicial System Highlights

• Canada’s legal system is based on the English common law tradition, except in the Province of Québec, where the civil code is heavily based on the French tradition.

• The Judicial Branch is composed of the Supreme Court, the Federal Court of Appeals, Provincial Court of Appeals, Provincial and Territorial Superior Courts, and Provincial Courts.

• During the 2002-2003 fiscal year the country allocated $1.2 billion of total public expenditures to the courts nationwide, a 10% increase over the 2000-2001 period.[7]

• Also in 2002-2003 there were 2,068 judges, or 8 per 100,000 inhabitants,[8].

• 2,218 prosecutors (7 per 100,000 inhabitants)[9]; and 59,412 police officers (186 per 100,000 inhabitants).[10]

• Figures for 2005 indicate that Canada has 38,000 attorneys, or 119 per 100,000 inhabitants.[11]

• During the 2003-2004 period, the adult criminal courts processed 445,650 cases involving more than one million charges across ten of the country’s thirteen provinces and territories (excluding Manitoba, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut). This represents 14,000 fewer cases than the previous year.[12]

• Between 2002 and 2003 the crime rate increased by 6% to 8,132 incidents per 100,000 inhabitants. This was the first substantial increase in over a decade and was the result of an increase in counterfeiting and property crimes.[13]