Laws of Canada

A collection of CPLEA’s plain language articles about democracy found on LawNow.org

Canada’s parliamentary system is open and democratic. It offers the opportunity for people to give their input and it is designed to make sure proposals for laws are carefully considered. Canada’s Parliament consists of three parts: the King, the Senate and the House of Commons. They work together to make the laws for our country. This guide provides an overview of the following topics: The Canadian Parliament, Who’s Who in the House, A Working Day in the Commons Chamber, Parliamentary Highlights, Making Canada’s Laws,The Role of a Member of Parliament, and Being Part of Parliament.

In Canada’s Parliament, bills may originate in eith of its two houses – the Senate and the House of Commons. Most legislation begins in the House of Commons. Regardless of where a bill originates, it must be passed by both houses in identical form before it can receiv Royal Assent and become law. This guide provides an overview of the process of how a Senate Bill goes through Parliament.

The following guide will explain the process by which a typical government initiated bill becomes law. This guide provides an overview of the Federal Legislative Process. To beome law, a bill must first be introduced in either the Senate or the House of Commons. It must then pass through various stages in each House: first, second and third reading. Then it must receive Royal Assent.

The Canadian Intellectual Property Office has provided these Frequently Asked Questions about Copyright for your use.

Appeals Officers in occupational health and safety, designated by the Minister of Labour and grouped under an administrative structure known as the Occupational Health and Safety Tribunal Canada (Tribunal), exercise the functions of an administrative tribunal.The mission of the Appeals Officers is to ensure expert, independent, unbiased quality service to all parties by treating them equally, fairly and with understanding, respect and dignity.

The Tax Court of Canada is the youngest superior court in Canada. The Court’s jurisdiction includes the hearing of appeals from assessments under the Income Tax Act, the Excise Tax Act (Goods and Services Tax “GST”), the Employment Insurance Act and the Canada Pension Plan, among others. The website gives access to the court judgments as well as providing information for people who plan to represent themselves at the court.

unThis page from the Labour Program of Employment and Social Development Canada outlines the laws that govern federally regulated workplaces.

This consolidation contains the text of the Constitution Act, 1867 (formerly the British North America Act, 1867), together with amendments made to it since its enactment, and the text of the Constitution Act, 1982, as amended since its enactment. The Constitution Act, 1982 contains the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and other provisions, including the procedure for amending the Constitution of Canada.

The Canada Gazette is the official newspaper of the Government of Canada and has been published regularly by the Queen’s Printer since 1841. Published within the Canada Gazette are new statutes and regulations, proposed regulations, decisions of administrative boards and an assortment of government notices.

Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC) administers many pieces of legislation, either in whole or in part. AANDC also develops and enforces regulations under authority delegated by the legislation that directly impacts First Nations, Inuit, Metis and Northerners.

This online source of the consolidated Acts and regulations of Canada is provided by the Department of Justice Canada. The consolidations are generally updated on a weekly basis.

The Canadian Legal Information Institute (CanLII) is a not-for-profit organization initiated by the Federation of Law Societies of Canada. CanLII’s goal is to make primary sources of Canadian law accessible for free on the Internet. CanLII seeks to gather legislative and judicial texts, as well as legal commentaries, from federal, provincial and territorial jurisdictions on a single Web site.

This webpage from the Canadian Legal Information Institute (CanLII) contains a listing of links to federal boards and tribunals in Canada (scroll halfway down the page). For a list of provincial and territorial boards and tribunals, click on the province/territory in the list on the left hand menu bar and then scroll down to the Boards and Tribunals list.