Together, these secure for Canadians an 800-year old tradition of ordered liberty, which dates back to the signing of Magna Carta in 1215 in England (also known as the Great Charter of Freedoms), including:
• Freedom of conscience and religion;
• Freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of speech and of the press;
• Freedom of peaceful assembly; and
• Freedom of association.
Habeas corpus, the right to challenge unlawful detention by the state, comes from English common law.
The Constitution of Canada was amended in 1982 to entrench the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which begins with the words, “Whereas Canada is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of God and the rule of law.” This phrase underlines the importance of religious traditions to Canadian society and the dignity and worth of the human person.
Source: Discover Canada, page 8.
secure = guarantee or protect 保障
liberty = freedom 自由
date back = go back 追溯
Magna Carta（拉丁文）英國的大憲章
conscience = awareness of what is right and what is wrong 良心；是非感
religion 宗教
expression = making your thoughts, feelings, opinions known 發表個人思想、情感、意見
freedom of speech 言論自由
freedom of the press 出版自由
peaceful assembly 和平集會
freedom of association 結社自由
habeas corpus（拉丁文）人身保護令
unlawful detention 非法拘禁
state = government 政府
constitution = a system of beliefs and laws that govern a country 憲法
amend = change and improve 修正
entrench = establish firmly 鞏固
found = establish 建基
principle 原則
underline 突顯；強調
dignity = being worthy of respect 尊嚴
worth = value, importance 價值
公民的權利和責任
這些綜合而成的法制，保障加拿大人能享有秩序井然的自由，已有八百年歷史的自由傳統，可追溯到1215年在英國簽定的大憲章，其中包括：
• 宗教及憑良知做事的自由
• 思想、信仰、表達意見的自由，包括言論和出版自由
• 和平集會的自由
• 組織結社的自由
我們有來自英國普通法的人身保護令，有權挑戰國家對我們作出的不合法拘禁。
1982年加拿大修訂憲法，進一步鞏固公民的權利和自由，憲章開宗明義便說“加拿大建基的兩大原則是確認至高無上的神，及堅守法律的約制”，這句子突顯加拿大社會的宗教傳統，以及對人的尊嚴和價值的尊重。
