When comparing commercial credit card options for your business, you should always ensure that a few all-important features are in place.
Card fees are often the first thing you’ll want to check out. Be sure to read the small print and add up all the unexpected costs rather than basing your decision purely on first impressions. Cards that offer no fees for the first year are often a good deal, since they provide you with a trial period in which to judge their overall quality of service.
Another thing that you should look for is flexibility with your monthly and quarterly billion statements. If you choose to have all of your statements consolidated, your should make sure it’s possible to access individual card statements on request, without it costing you an arm and a leg.
Last but not least, interest rates are an integral part of every credit card deal, especially if you plan to carry a balance for a month or more. Interest rates will generally range from 14% to 19%, depending on your company’s credit history, spending volume, and banking relationships. It is often worthwhile to compare offers from several different financial institutions, and try to negotiate lower rates based on your level of spending and other factors.
Remember not to be fooled by “too good to be true” offers, however, which offer very low introductory interest rates for a limited time frame (i.e. 6 months). You need to look beyond flashy advertisements, and determine what you can expect in terms of normal, long-term interest rates.
Civil Forfeiture and the Standard of Proof
Unlike criminal proceedings, where an accused person must be presumed innocent until proven guilty and only punished once their guilt has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt, civil forfeiture proceedings operate on the balance of probabilities, meaning that the state must merely demonstrate that an individual has probably done something illegal in order to obtain forfeiture of their property.
The Right to Counsel in Canada
Section 10(b) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms preserves the right of a detained individual to contact counsel immediately upon arrest or detention, and simultaneously imposes a duty upon police to immediately inform individuals that they have this right.
Democratic Rights: A Broad Charter Guarantee
Democratic Rights, and specifically the right to vote in provincial and federal elections, enjoy broad constitutional protection in Canada, pursuant to Section 3 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. This section states that “Every citizen of Canada has the right to vote in an election of the members of the House of Commons or of a legislative assembly and to be qualified for membership therein.”
