Here is Part 2 of our series of quizzes on Canadian law. Answer all five questions and then check the answers at the end. Let us know how you did by posting your score out of 5 to our social media pages. Tag anyone you want to challenge!
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QUESTIONS
1. You spent weeks freelancing for a company and now they keep making excuses as to why you are not being paid. You decide to send them a demand letter (aka, lawyer’s letter). What should your letter contain?
a) A lot of emotion! You worked hard on that project and they need to know just how mad you are.
b) A lot of detail. You should include an explanation of all the projects you have worked on since you were first approached by the company three years earlier. They need to know you are not just anybody!
c) A lot of demands. Not only do they owe you money for the project you worked on, but now you’re upset and they should pay for that. You ask them for punitive damages because you saw that on Judge Judy and you deserve it!
d) A lot of facts. Your letter should be short, concise and factual: when you started and completed the project, how much money is owed, a deadline for the money to be sent to you, and what will happen if they refuse.
2. What is [email protected]? Albertans will know this one for sure!
a) It’s the email address of the largest pet store in Calgary and if you want info on a pet rat or other critters, this is your best source.
b) This email has nothing to do with rats! It’s a “hotline” to report on your friends, neighbours and coworkers, especially tax cheats. It’s known as the rat line.
c) This is the email to register your pet rat (and other critters) or to report it lost.
d) Alberta has no rats so if you happen to see one, email this “hotline” and report it. Fast!
3. A few months ago, while driving downtown, you happened to see a man running out of a bank and hop into a red sports car in front of you. Sometime later, you receive a summons (subpoena) to appear in court as a witness. What are your options?
a) Meh! Who needs this? You don’t know the guy. You don’t care about the guy. Ignore the summons. They’ll find someone else.
b) You’d like to go but you know for sure you’ll be fired if you miss work, even for an afternoon—and who knows how long this will take? So you send the court a note that says “no thanks.”
c) You’re not very excited about testifying but you know that if you ignore the summons, you can be detained, arrested and/or fined. It’s a big deal.
d) You’ll go but you won’t testify. You don’t want any trouble and you’ve seen “I plead the fifth” on TV. You’re sure it will work here, too. After all, you have rights!
4. You’re Canadian. You LOVE your hockey nights at the arena with your friends. One night, however, an opposing player you’ve had trouble with before starts checking you, pushing you, taunting you and you have had enough! You throw your gloves down but instead of putting up his fists, he picks up his stick and with two swings, he hits you hard on the head and then on your knees. You’re carried off the ice. What should happen here?
a) Nothing should happen. It’s hockey! There is violence. And that night, you got yours!
b) Both players should be suspended and fined by their teams. Hockey can be violent, yes, but this was beyond the normal fight.
c) The guy who used the stick should be suspended and fined by his team. You only threw your gloves, not wielded a weapon.
d) The man who used the stick should be charged with assault because although there is some assumed consent to the physical play in hockey, our criminal law covers all of Canada, including hockey rinks.
5. How old do you have to be to get married in Canada?
a) Any age, as long as you obtain both parents’ consent.
b) 13, with both parents’ consent.
c) 15 without anyone’s consent but your own.
d) 16 is the minimum age across Canada, but most provinces set 18 or 19 as the required age to marry, or with parental consent at 16 or 17. It differs from province to province.
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Answers:
d) – Your lawyer’s letter should only contain the details of your case and what you would like to happen next. This letter is not suitable for anger and emotion. It is not a social media platform! It can serve as evidence for your case.
b) – It is the hotline for rat sightings, almost all of which turn out to be other critters. Alberta is the largest inhabited area in the world to have no rats. It is even illegal to have one as a pet.
c) – Never ignore a subpoena! Big problems can happen if you do.
d) – Although you can argue for b) and c) as well, the truth is, professional sports are not exempt from our criminal laws. If you are whacked over the head with a stick, whether you are on the ice or in your home, that is assault and the attacker can be charged.
d) 16 is the federally set minimum age to marry in Canada, meaning no province can establish a younger age to marry. In places like Nova Scotia, for example, the minimum age is 19, or 17 with consent from the parents.
The Takeaway
If you are owed money and need a lawyer’s letter or you receive a court summons of any kind, the affordable legal plans we have at LegalShield Canada means legal professionals can help you out as needed. Don’t forget to post your quiz results on our social media pages! And if you want more quizzes, let us know that, too.
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Articles on the LegalShield.ca website are for informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice or opinion in any manner. Laws mentioned in the articles vary from province to province. Any links to third-party sites in our articles are for general information purposes only and LegalShield is not affiliated with, nor does it endorse, the content of linked sites. It is always advisable to seek legal counsel—and LegalShield can help.
