Canada: Constitutional Act of 1982 with reforms through 1993

Canada/ Canada Constitutional Act of 1982 with reforms through 1993 Loi Constitutionnelle de 1982 avec des réformes jusqu'à 1993

PART I - CANADIAN CHARTER OF RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS

Whereas Canada is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of God and the rule of law:

1.- The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees the rights and freedoms set out in it subject only to such reasonable limits prescribed by law as can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society.

b. freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication;

3.- Every citizen of Canada has the right to vote in an election of members of the House of Commons or of a legislative assembly and to be qualified for membership therein.

4.- (1) No House of Commons and no legislative assembly shall continue for longer than five years from the date fixed for the return of the writs of a general election of its members.

(2) In time of real or apprehended war, invasion or insurrection, a House of Commons may be continued by Parliament and a Legislative assembly may be continued by the legislature beyond five years if such continuation is not opposed by the votes of more than one-third of the members of the House of Commons or the legislative assembly, as the case may be.

5.- There shall be a sitting of Parliament and of each legislature at least once every twelve months.

6.- (1) Every citizen of Canada has the right to enter, remain in and leave Canada.

(2) Every citizen of Canada and every person who has the status of a permanent resident of Canada has the right

a. any laws or practices of general application in force in a province other than those that discriminate among persons primarily on the basis of province of present of previous residence; and

b. any laws providing for reasonable residency requirements as a qualification for the receipt of publicly provided social service.

(4) Subsections (2) and (3) do not preclude any law, program or activity that has as its object the amelioration in a province of conditions of individuals in that province who are socially or economically disadvantaged if the rate of employment in that province is below the rate of employment in Canada.

7.- Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of the persons and the right not to be deprived thereof except in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice.

8.- Everyone has the right to be secure against unreasonable search or seizure.

b. to retain and instruct counsel without delay and to be informed of that right; and

c. to have the validity of the detention determined by way of habeas corpus and to be released if the detention is not lawful.

c. not to be compelled to be a witness in proceedings against that person in respect of the offense;

d. to be presumed innocent until proven guilty according to law in a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal;

f. except in the case of an offense under military law tried before a military tribunal, to the benefit of trial by jury where the maximum punishment for the offense is imprisonment for five years or a more severe punishment;

g. not to be found guilty on account of any act or omission unless, at the time of the act or omission, it constituted an offense under Canadian or international law or was criminal according to the general principles of law recognized by the community of nations;

h. if finally acquitted of the offense, not to be tried for it again and, if finally found guilty and punished for the offense, not to be tried or punished for it again; and

i. if found guilty of the offense and if the punishment for the offense has been varied between the time of commission and the time of sentencing, to the benefit of the lesser punishement.

12.- Everyone has the right not to be subjected to any cruel and unusual treatment or punishment.

13.- A witness who testifies in any proceedings has the right not to have any incriminating evidence so given used to incriminate that witness in any other proceedings, except in a prosecution for perjury or for the giving of contradictory evidence.

14.- A party or witness in any proceedings who does not understand or speak the language in which the proceedings are conducted or who is deaf has the right to the assistance of an interpreter.

15.- 1. Every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination and, in particular, without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability.

2. Subsection (1) does not precluce any law, program or activity that has as its object the amelioration of conditions of disadvantaged individuals or groups including those that are disadvantaged because of race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability.

16.- (1) English and French are the official languages of Canada and have equality of status and equal rights and privileges as to their use in all institution of the Parliament and government of Canada.

(2) English and French are the official languages of New Brunswick and have equality of status and equal rights and privileges as to their use in all institutions of the legislature and government of New Brunswick.

3. Nothing in this Charter limits the authority of Parliament or a legislature to advance the equality of status or use of English and French.

(1) The English linguistic community and the French linguistic community in New Brunswick have equality of status and equal rights and privileges, including the right to distinct educational institutions and such distinct cultural institutions as are necessary for the preservation and promotion of those communities.

(2) The role of the legislature and government of New Brunswick to preserve and promote the status, rights and privileges referred to in subsection (1) is affirmed. *(As added by the Constitution Amendment, 1993 (New Brunswick). See SI/93-54

17.- 1. Everyone has the right to use English or French in any debates and other proceedings of Parliament.

2. Everyone has the right to use English or French in any debates and other proceedings of the legislature of New Brunswick.

18.- 1. The statutes, records and journals of Parliament shall be printed and published in English and French and both language versions are equally authoritative.

2. The statutes, records and journals of the legislature of New Brunswick shall be printed and published in English and French and both language versions are equally authoritative.

19.- 1. Either English or French may be used by any person in, or in any pleading in or process issuing from, any court established by Parliament.

2. Either English or French may be used by any person in, or in any pleading in or process issuing from, any court of New Brunswick.

20.- (1) Any member of the public in Canada has the right to communicate with, and to receive available services from, any head or central office of an institution of the Parliament or government of Canada in English or French, and has the same right with respect to any other office of any such institution where.

a. there is a significant demand for communications with and services from that office in such language; or

b. due to the nature of the office, it is reasonable that communications with and services from that office be available in both English and French.

(2) Any member of the public in New Brunswick has the right to communicate with, and to receive available services from, any office of an institution of the legislature or government of New Brunswick in English or French.

21.- Nothing in sections 16 to 20 abrogates or derogates from any right, privilege or obligation with respect to the English and French languages, or either of them, that exists or is continued by virtue of any other provision of the Constitution of Canada.

22.- Nothing in sections 16 to 20 abrogates or derogates from any legal or customary right or privilege acquired or enjoyed either before or after the coming into force of this Charter with respect to any language that is not English or French.

a. whose first language learned and still understood is that of the English or French linguistic minority population of the province in which they reside, or

b. who have received their primary school instruction in Canada in English or French and reside in a province where the language in which they received that instruction is the language of the English or French linguistic minority population of the province, have the right to have their children receive primary and secondary school instruction in that language in that province.

(2) Citizens of Canada of whom any child has received or is receiving primary or secondary school instruction in English or French in Canada, have the right to have all their children receive primary and secondary school instruction in the same language.

(3) The right of citizens of Canada under subsections (1) and (2) to have their children receive primary and secondary school instruction in the language of the English or French linguistic minority population of a province

a. applies wherever in the province the number of children of citizens who have such a right is sufficient to warrant the provision to them out of public funds of minority language instruction; and

b. includes, where the number of those children so warrants, the right to have them receive that instruction in minority language educational facilities provided out of public funds.

24.- (1) Anyone whose rights or freedoms, as guaranteed by this Charter, have been infringed or denied may apply to a court of competent jurisdiction to obtain such remedy as the court considers appropriate and just in the circumstances.

(2) Where, in proceedings under subsection (1), a court concludes that evidence was obtained in a manner that infringed or denied any rights or freedoms guaranteed by this Charter, the evidence shall be excluded if it is established that, having regard to all the circumstances, the admission of it in the proceedings would bring the administration of justice into disrepute.

25.- The guarantee in this Charter of certain rights and freedoms shall not be construed so as to abrogate or derogate from any aboriginal, treaty or other rights or freedoms that pertain to the aboriginal peoples of Canada including

a. any rights or freedoms that have been recognized by the Royal Proclamation of October 7, 1763; and

b. any rights or freedoms that now exist by way of land claims agreements or may be so acquired. *(As Amended by the Constitution Amendment Proclamation, 1983. See SI/84-102)

26.- The guarantee in this Charter of certain rights and freedoms shall not be construed as denying the existence of any other rights or freedoms that exist in Canada.

27.- This Charter shall be interpreted in a manner consistent with the preservation and enhancement of the multicultural heritage of Canadians.

28.- Notwithstanding anything in this Charter, the rights and freedoms referred to in it are guaranteed equally to male and female persons.

29.- Nothing in this Charter abrogates or derogates from any rights or privileges guaranteed by or under the Constitution of Canada in respect of denominational, separate or dissentient schools.

30.- A reference in this Charter to a Province or to the legislative assembly or legislature of a province shall be deemed to include a reference to the Yukon Territory and the Northwest Territories, or to the appropriate legislative authority thereof, as the case may be.

31.- Nothing in this Charter extends the legislative powers of any body or authority.

a. to the Parliament and government of Canada in respect of all matters within the authority of Parliament including all matters relating to the Yukon Territory and Northwest Territories; and

b. to the legislature and government of each province in respect of all matters within the authority of the legislature of each province.

(2) Notwithstanding subsection (1), section 15 shall not have effect until three years after this section comes into force.

33.- (1) Parliament or the legislature of a province may expressly declare in an Act of Parliament or of the legislature, as the case may be, that the Act or a provision thereof shall operate notwithstanding a provision included in section 2 or sections 7 to 15 of this Charter.

(2) An Act or a provision of an Act in respect of which a declaration made under this section is in effect shall have such operation as it would have but for the provision of this Charter referred to in the declaration.

(3) A declaration made under subsection (1) shall cease to have effect five years after it comes into force or on such earlier date as may be specified in the declaration.

(4) Parliament or the legislature of a province may reenact a declaration made under subsection (1).

(5) Subsection (3) applies in respect of a re-enactment made under subsection (4).

34.- This Part may be cited as the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

PART II - RIGHTS OF THE ABORIGINAL PEOPLES OF CANADA

35.- (1) The existing aboriginal and treaty rights of the aboriginal peoples of Canada are hereby recognized and affirmed.

(2) In this Act, "aboriginal peoples of Canada" includes the Indian, Inuit and Métis peoples of Canada.

(3) For greater certainty, in subsection (1) "treaty rights" includes rights that now exist by way of land claims agreements or may be so acquired.

(4) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the aboriginal and treaty rights referred to in subsection (1) are guaranteed equally to male and female persons. *(Subsections 35(3) and (4) were added by the Constitution Amendment Proclamation, 1983. See SI/84-102)

35.1.- The government of Canada and the provincial governments are committed to the principal that, before any amendment is made to Class 24 of section 91 of the "Constitution Act, 1867", to section 25 of this Act or to this Part,

a. a constitutional conference that includes in its agenda an item relating to the proposed amendment, composed of the Prime Minister of Canada and the first ministers of the provinces, will be convened by the Prime Minister of Canada; and

b. the Prime Minister of Canada will invite representatives of the aboriginal peoples of Canada to participate in the discussions on that item.

PART III - EQUALIZATION AND REGIONAL DISPARITIES

36.- (1) Without altering the legislative authority of Parliament or of the provincial legislatures, or the rights of any of them with respect to the exercise of their legislative authority, Parliament and the legislatures, together with the government of Canada and the provincial governments, are committed to

(2) Parliament and the government of Canada are committed to the principle of making equalization payments to ensure that provincial governments have sufficient revenues to provide reasonable comparable levels of public services at reasonably comparable levels of taxation.

PART IV - CONSTITUTIONAL CONFERENCE

37.- (Section 54 provide for the repeal of Part IV one year after part VII came into force. Part VII came into force on April 17, 1982 thereby repealing Part IV on April 17, 1983.)

PART IV.I - CONSTITUTIONAL CONFERENCES

37.1.- (Added by the Constitution Amendment Proclamation, 1983 (see SI/84-102), was repealed on April 18, 1987 by section 54.1.)

PART V - PROCEDURE FOR AMENDING CONSTITUTION OF CANADA

38.- (1) An amendment to the Constitution of Canada may be made by proclamation issued by the Governor General under the Grant Seal of Canada where so authorized by

b. resolutions of the legislative assemblies of at least two-thirds of the provinces that have, in the aggregate, according to the then latest general census, at least fifty per cent of the population of all the provinces.

(2) An amendment made under subsection (1) that derogates from the legislative powers, the proprietary rights or any other rights or privileges of the legislature or government of a province shall require a resolution supported by a majority of the members of each of the Senate, the House of Commons and the legislative assemblies required under subsection (1).

(3) An amendment referred to in subsection (2) shall not have effect in a province the legislative assembly of which has expressed its dissent thereto by resolution supported by a majority of its members prior to the issue of the proclamation to which the amendment relates unless that legislative assembly, subsequently, by resolution supported by a majority of its members, revokes its dissent and authorizes the amendment.

(4) A resolution of dissent made for the purposes of subsection (3) may be revoked at any time before or after the issue of the proclamation to which it relates.

39.- (1) A proclamation shall not be issued under subsection 38(1) before the expiration of one year from the adoption of the resolution initiating the amendment procedure thereunder, unless the legislative assembly of each province has previously adopted a resolution of assent or dissent.

(2) A proclamation shall not be issued under subsection 38(1) after the expiration of three years from the adoption of the resolution initiating the amendment procedure thereunder.

40.- Where an amendment is made under subsection 38(1) that transfers provincial legislative powers relating to education or other cultural matters from provincial legislatures to Parliament, Canada shall provide reasonable compensation to any province to which the amendment does not apply.

41.- An amendment to the Constitution of Canada in relation to the following matters may be made by proclamation issued by the Governor General under the Great Seal of Canada only where authorized by resolutions of the Senate and House of Commons and of the legislative assembly of each province:

a. the office of the Queen, the Governor General and the Lieutenant Governor of a province;

b. the right of a province to a number of members in the House of Commons not less than the number of Senators by which the province is entitled to be represented at the time this Part comes into force;

42.- (1) An amendment to the Constitution of Canada in relation to the following matters may be made only in accordance with subsection 38(1):

a. the principle of proportionate representation of the provinces in the House of Commons prescribed by the Constitution of Canada;

c. the number of members by which a province is entitled to be represented in the Senate and the residence qualifications of Senators;

f. notwithstanding any other law or practice, the establishment of new provinces.

(2) Subsections 38(2) to (4) do not apply in respect of amendments in relation to matters referred to in subsection (1).

43.- An amendment to the Constitution of Canada in relation to any provision that applies to one or more, but not all, provinces, including

b. any amendment to any provision that relates to the use of the English or the French language within a province,

may be made by proclamation issued by the Governor General under the Great Seal of Canada only where so authorized by resolutions of the Senate and House of Commons and of the legislative assembly of each province to which the amendment applies.

44.- Subject to sections 41 and 42, Parliament may exclusively make laws amending the Constitution of Canada in relation to the executive government of Canada or the Senate and House of Commons.

45.- Subject to section 41, the legislature of each province may exclusively make laws amending the constitution of the province.

46.- (1) The procedures for amendment under sections 38, 41, 42 and 43 may be initiated either by the Senate or the House of Commons or by the legislative assembly of a province.

(2) A resolution of assent made for the purposes of this Part may be revoked at any time before the issue of a proclamation authorized by it.

47.- (1) An amendment to the Constitution of Canada made by proclamation under section 38, 41, 42 or 43 may be made without a resolution of the Senate authorizing the issue of the proclamation if, within one hundred and eighty days after the adoption by the House of Commons of a resolution authorizing its issue, the Senate has not adopted such a resolution and if, at any time after the expiration of that period, the House of Commons again adopts the resolution.

(2) Any period when Parliament is prorogued or dissolved shall not be counted in computing the one hundred and eighty day period referred to in subsection (1).

48.- The Queen's Privy Council for Canada shall advise the Governor General to issue a proclamation under this Part forthwith on the adoption of the resolutions required for an amendment made by proclamation under this Part.

49.- A constitutional conference composed of the Prime Minister of Canada and the first ministers of the provinces shall be convened by the Primer Minister of Canada within fifteen years after this Part comes into force to review the provisions of this Part.

PART VI - AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION ACT, 1867

50.- (The amendment is set out in the Consolidation of the Constitution Act, 1867, as section 92A thereof.)

51.- (The amendment is set out in the Consolidation of the Constitution Act. 1867, as the Sixth Schedule thereof.)

PART VII - GENERAL

52.- (1) The Constitution of Canada is the supreme law of Canada, and any law that is inconsistent with the provisions of the Constitution is, to the extent of the inconsistency, of no force or effect.

3. Amendments to the Constitution of Canada shall be made only in accordance with the authority contained in the Constitution of Canada.

53.- (1) The enactments referred to in Column I of the schedule are hereby repealed or amended to the extent indicated in Column II thereof and, unless repealed, shall continue as law in Canada under the names set out in Column III thereof.

(2) Every enactment, except the Canada Act 1982, that refers to an enactment referred to in the schedule by the name in Column I thereof is hereby amended by substituting for that name the corresponding name in Column III thereof, and any British North America Act not referred to in the schedule may be cited as the Constitution Act followed by the year and number, if any, of its enactment.

54.- Part IV is repealed on the day that is one year after this Part comes into force and this section may be repealed and this Act renumbered, consequentially upon the repeal of Part IV and this section, by proclamation issued by the Governor General under the Great Seal of Canada.

54.1.- (Added by the Constitution Amendment Proclamation, 1983 (see SI/84-102), provided for the repeal of Part IV. I and section 54.1 on April 18, 1987.)

55.- A French version of the portions of the Constitution of Canada referred to in the schedule shall be prepared by the Minister of Justice of Canada as expeditiously as possible and, when any portion thereof sufficient to warrant action being taken has been so prepared, it shall be put forward for enactment by proclamation issued by the Governor General under the Great Seal of Canada pursuant to the procedure then applicable to an amendment of the same provisions of the Constitution of Canada.

56.- Where any portion of the Constitution of Canada has been or is enacted in English and French or where a French version of any portion of the Constitution is enacted pursuant to section 55, the English and French versions of that portion of the Constitution are equally authoritative.

58.- Subject to section 59, this Act shall come into force one day to be fixed by proclamation issued by the Queen or the Governor General under the Great Seal of Canada.

59.- (1) Paragraph 23(1)(a) shall come into force in respect of Quebec one day to be fixed by proclamation issued by the Queen or the Governor General under the Great Seal of Canada.

(2) A proclamation under subsection (1) shall be issued only where authorized by the legislative assembly or government of Quebec.

(3) This section may be repealed on the day paragraph 23(1)(a) comes into force in respect of Quebec and this Act amended and renumbered, consequentially upon the repeal of this section, by proclamation issued by the Queen or the Governor General under the Great Seal of Canada.

60.- This Act may be cited as the Constitution Act, 1982, and the Constitution Acts 1867 to 1975 (No. 2) and this Act may be cited together as the Constitution Acts, 1867 to 1982.

61.- A reference to the "Constitution Acts, 1867 to 1982" shall be deemed to include a reference to the "Constitution Amendment Proclamation, 1983".

Canada/ Canada Constitutional Act of 1982 with reforms through 1993 Loi Constitutionnelle de 1982 avec des réformes jusqu'à 1993

PART I - CANADIAN CHARTER OF RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS

PART II - RIGHTS OF THE ABORIGINAL PEOPLES OF CANADA

PART III - EQUALIZATION AND REGIONAL DISPARITIES

PART IV - CONSTITUTIONAL CONFERENCE

PART IV.I - CONSTITUTIONAL CONFERENCES

PART V - PROCEDURE FOR AMENDING CONSTITUTION OF CANADA

PART VI - AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION ACT, 1867

PART VII - GENERAL

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