(Disponible en français : Résumé – Le partage des compétences législatives : un aperçu) The distribution of legislative powers among the various levels of government is a key feature of federalism. To guide this distribution, the Constitution Act, 1867 divides legislative powers between the Parliament of Canada and the provincial legislatures. Most of these powers…
(Disponible en français : Affaire Gérard Comeau : Le commerce intérieur bientôt dans la mire de la Cour suprême du Canada) About 150 years ago, Canada’s Fathers of Confederation contemplated trade across provincial boundaries when drafting section 121 of the British North America Act, 1867, now the Constitution Act, 1867. According to section 121, “[a]ll…
(Disponible en français : 150 ans de bilinguisme législatif au Canada : d’hier à aujourd’hui) This HillNote provides an historic and contemporary look at the evolution of legislative bilingualism in the Canadian parliamentary context. The genesis of a political compromise On the eve of Canadian Confederation Prior to Confederation, there were demands for laws and…
(Disponible en français : Vous sentez-vous prêts à légiférer?) Government legislation often overshadows the important role played by individual members of Parliament and senators in proposing laws. Since 1910, 278 bills sponsored by MPs and senators have been passed by Parliament, 43 in the 41st Parliament alone. Of the 43 receiving royal assent, some designated…
(Disponible en français : Le rôle de la Cour suprême du Canada – composition et procédure de nomination) The Supreme Court of Canada was created by Statute in 1875 and since that time its membership and nomination process have evolved considerably. The Court acts as a general court of appeal for Canada, deriving its authority…
(Disponible en français : Banques et protection des consommateurs – Une compétence fédérale, mais pas exclusivement) In recent rulings, the Supreme Court of Canada clarified some constitutional issues concerning federal and provincial authority in regulating certain banking practices. Section 91(15) of the Constitution Act, 1867 gives Parliament the power to regulate “banking, incorporation of banks…