According to Canadian principles, who is above the law?

The principle that no person or group is above the law sits at the very heart of Canadian citizenship. It is what Canadians call the rule of law, and it is one of the foundational ideas that newcomers are expected to learn before taking the Oath of Citizenship. Discover Canada introduces this idea on its very first pages by reminding readers that Canadians are bound together by a shared commitment to the rule of law and to the institutions of parliamentary government, placing this principle alongside our identity as a constitutional monarchy, a parliamentary democracy and a federal state.

The rule of law means that the same laws apply equally to every individual living in Canada, regardless of their wealth, social status, ethnic background, religion, or political office. Government ministers, judges, police officers, business owners, recent immigrants and long-established citizens all stand on the same legal ground. No politician can lawfully order the police to ignore a crime, no wealthy individual can purchase immunity from prosecution, and no group — political, religious, ethnic, or corporate — may claim exemption from Canada's laws. The law is supreme over every actor in the country, including the state itself.

This idea is reinforced by the Oath of Citizenship that every new Canadian must take. The oath includes the solemn promise that the new citizen "will faithfully observe the laws of Canada", including the Constitution, which recognizes and affirms the Aboriginal and treaty rights of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. By swearing or affirming these words, the new citizen personally accepts the rule of law as a binding duty. Discover Canada also stresses that while Canadian citizens enjoy many rights, they also carry responsibilities: they must obey Canada's laws and respect the rights and freedoms of others.

Understanding why no person or group is above the law matters because it directly shapes the kind of country Canada is. It is the reason elected officials, including the Prime Minister and Cabinet ministers, can be investigated, charged, and tried in the same courts as ordinary citizens. It is the reason a peaceful, free, law-abiding and prosperous society — the kind Discover Canada describes Canada as building over 400 years of settlement and immigration — has been possible. This principle also connects to several other test topics: the Oath of Citizenship, the responsibilities of citizenship, the role of the courts in the justice system, and the constitutional structure that makes Canada a parliamentary democracy rather than a personal or one-party rule.