Thanks to "The Canada Guide"

Law Enforcement

Police officers in Canada are the men and women who enforce the laws passed by the government. They supervise the public and arrest those who break the law, bringing them to court to be judged.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (also known as the RCMP, or “Mounties“), with their red coats and wide-brimmed hats, are one of the most iconic emblems of Canada, but not all Canadian law enforcement is handled by them. It’s actually up to individual provinces or cities to decide what specific police force they want to hire to handle their law enforcement. The RCMP, who are trained by the federal government, are one option, while other provinces may choose to employ a provincial police force or let each individual city have their own municipal police force.
The RCMP hold jurisdiction over criminal activity that transcends multiple provinces, or criminal activity deemed to be a matter of national security. National security responsibilities are also held by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), often called Canada’s “national spy agency,” who covertly monitor things like terrorist threats, internet-based crimes, and foreign espionage.

Criminal Records and Pardons

The names of Canadians who are convicted of a criminal offence are entered into an electronic database run by Canada’s police departments, and — with the convict's permission — this information is shared with anyone who request it. This can be quite a handicap in life, as many Canadian employers demand prospective employees release their police profiles and refuse to hire people with a criminal record. Eliminating a criminal record can be done through an appeal to the Parole Board of Canada, or in much rarer cases, through a personal appeal to the Canadian minister of public safety.

Prosecution and Punishment

Every province in Canada employs a politician known as the attorney general, picked by the provincial premier (the head of the provincial government), who leads a team of Crown attorneys. These Crown attorneys are tasked with representing the interests of the government and public, and work with police to determine how an arrested person should be charged and punished for breaking a law.
For minor crimes, known as summary offences, the Crown will simply require the accused person to face a short hearing before a judge and, if found guilty, face a minor punishment. For more serious or complicated crimes, known as indictable offences, the Crown will demand a full trial be held between the Crown’s attorneys and the accused criminal and his lawyers (the defense). Guilt will be determined by a judge, and often a jury of 12 randomly-selected citizens as well. Sometimes a law will state whether breaking it is a summary or indictable offence, other times it’s left up to the prosecution to decide.
The most serious punishment a Canadian can face for breaking a law is time in prison. Like the rest of the justice system, Canadian prisons are jointly managed by the federal and provincial governments. If you are sentenced to less than two years in prison, and you go to a provincially-run jail. More than two, and it’s federal. Judicial punishments in Canada tend to operate on an escalating scale, with first-time offenders receiving lighter sentences. Going to prison is mostly reserved for those who repeatedly re-offend. Only the most serious crimes, like murder, have long mandatory prison sentences, with life in prison being the single longest sentence a Canadian can receive. Prison stays can be ended early as a reward for personal reform and good prison behavior, as determined by the local branch of the Parole Board of Canada. Technically, even people with a life sentence can appeal for parole, though it’s almost always denied. Canada has had no death penalty since 1976.

Tuesday's Task

Being Assertive. When we are assertive, we respect ourselves by expressing our wants and needs without crossing other people’s boundaries. It is a communication style that allows us to be respectful without being walked all over or being unkind to someone else. Here are some tips on how to be assertive:

 Determine what you want. Be specific and clear about what you want. For example, if you want your roommate to do more dishes, come up with a schedule: “I would like it if you could do the dinner dishes every other day”. This shows confidence and helps avoid any confusion for the other person.

1. Use “I” Statements. Using I statements avoids placing blame on the other person. Saying something like, “When you don’t do the dishes, I feel annoyed” is far more effective than saying, “You make me so irritated when you don’t do the dishes!”. Defensiveness is a normal response to feeling blamed, so try to not put the other person on guard.
2. Express underlying emotions. When we’re angry, its easy to yell at the other person and tell them how ticked off we are. While screaming at someone might help us blow off some steam, it does very little to solve the problem and the other person will become defensive and may withdraw. Typically, there are underlying emotions below our initial feeling of anger. What else are you feeling? By expressing deeper emotions like sadness, hurt, or fear, we are more likely to receive a supportive and collaborative response than if we share anger.
3. Focus on the person’s behaviour, not their personality. Try to avoid personally attacking the other person. Behaviour is something that we can change but altering our personality is a much more daunting task. People feel attacked when you target their personality and will probably respond with anger. So avoid saying, “You’re such a jerk!” and say something like, “When you said that you didn’t want to spend the evening with me, I felt hurt”.
4. Avoid using words like “always” and “never”. Most of us are guilty of saying something like, “you never do the dishes!”. This is a counter-productive statement and will immediately put someone on guard. By avoiding these definitive words, the conflict stays on track instead of becoming an argument of who said this or did that.
5. Empathize with the other person. Being assertive isn’t a free card to be a jerk to someone. Remember that the other person also has valid feelings, thoughts, and opinions. Put yourself in their shoes, try to understand where they are coming from, and reflect this understanding back to them. A solution is always easier to find when everyone feels heard.
6. Watch your body language and tone. As human beings, we communicate a lot of information non-verbally. Try to stand tall, face the person when you speak, and make eye contact. Use a calm, clear tone and avoid mumbling.

 It would be great if our needs and wants were always met when we were assertive, but that’s not always the case. You can be the most assertive person in the world and the other person may not want or be able to give you what you need. Being assertive is less about getting your needs met and more about learning to express yourself in a way that is respectful and kind to others. By simply sharing what you want, you can help avoid that uncomfortable feeling of resentment, honor yours and others’ feelings, and build healthy relationships.