22:
1429:(Montreal and Kingston: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2009; reprint of the 1969 edition, with introduction by Janet Ajzenstat), "Rough Draft of the British North America Bill" (undated), clause 29 (Document 78, p. 236); "Initial Draft of the British North America Act" (January 23, 1867), clause 33 (Document 79, p. 256); "Final Draft of the British North America Act" (February 9, 1867), clause 20 (Document 86, p. 306).
1166:, passed in the 17th century, established that Parliament must be elected at least once every three years. The need for the government to pass financial measures had the practical effect of requiring that Parliaments actually meet at least once a year, although that requirement was not included in the
1071:
There shall be a
Session of the Parliament of Canada once at least in every Year, so that Twelve Months shall not intervene between the last Sitting of the Parliament in one Session and its first Sitting in the next
861:
853:
857:
849:
319:
315:
799:
795:
791:
787:
783:
779:
775:
771:
767:
763:
759:
755:
751:
747:
743:
713:
709:
705:
697:
693:
689:
685:
681:
677:
673:
669:
665:
661:
657:
653:
649:
645:
641:
637:
633:
629:
323:
1178:
527:
523:
519:
515:
511:
507:
503:
499:
495:
491:
487:
483:
479:
475:
471:
467:
463:
459:
455:
451:
447:
443:
439:
435:
431:
409:
405:
401:
397:
393:
389:
385:
381:
377:
311:
307:
303:
299:
295:
291:
287:
283:
279:
275:
271:
267:
263:
241:
237:
233:
229:
225:
221:
217:
213:
209:
205:
197:
193:
189:
167:
163:
141:
137:
133:
129:
125:
121:
99:
95:
91:
87:
970:, the Act continues to be the foundational statute for the Constitution of Canada, although it has been amended many times since 1867. It is now recognised as part of the supreme law of Canada.
903:
1401:
1134:
in 1866. It was included in the rough draft of the bill, modified in the initial draft, and took final form in the final draft. It was then included as section 20 in the
1184:
1146:
1141:
Section 20 only required annual sittings of
Parliament, and did not apply to the provincial legislatures. It was repealed in 1982 on the enactment of the
869:
865:
910:
1107:. Both of the new provinces had its own parliament, and each was required to meet annually. This provision in turn was carried forward in the
883:
835:
831:
817:
803:
739:
735:
721:
717:
701:
625:
611:
607:
573:
565:
557:
603:
599:
595:
591:
577:
569:
561:
553:
549:
535:
531:
427:
413:
373:
357:
353:
349:
345:
341:
327:
259:
245:
201:
185:
159:
145:
1024:. Those conferences were followed by consultations with the British government in 1867. The Act was then enacted in 1867 by the
947:
117:
103:
83:
69:
65:
50:
1096:
1025:
1493:
1488:
1469:
1413:
896:
1498:
1273:"The Silent Framers of British North American Union: The Colonial Office and Canadian Confederation, 1851–67"
1152:, which requires that Parliament and each provincial legislature must sit at least once every twelve months.
1160:
The requirement for annual meetings of
Parliament evolved gradually in England and then Great Britain. The
1359:
1304:
966:
1131:
1021:
1181:
provides that the House of
Commons shall not last for more than five years from the last election.
1123:
1013:
1127:
1017:
1272:
1048:
1038:
993:
988:
981:
956:
938:
42:
33:
1438:
1345:
1009:
1246:
1245:(Toronto: Macmillan Publishing, 1964; revised ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012)
1224:
1373:
1001:
1000:. The Act sets out the constitutional framework of Canada, including the structure of the
942:
8:
1331:
1005:
1130:
in 1864. The provision was continued as resolution 27 of the London
Resolutions at the
1118:
The requirement for an annual sitting of
Parliament was set out in resolution 28 of the
1119:
1112:
21:
1387:
1088:
Section 20 had its origins in the similar provisions in pre-Confederation Canada.
1046:
the Act can only be amended in Canada, under the amending formula set out in the
930:
1162:
1210:, 5th ed. (Toronto: Thomson Reuters (looseleaf; current to 2022), para. 1:4.
1482:
1104:
1100:
1190:
requires annual sittings of
Parliament and the provincial legislatures.
1008:. It was the product of extensive negotiations between the provinces of
1060:
Section 20 has been repealed. As originally enacted in 1867, it read:
1043:
1033:
1032:. In 1982 the Act was brought under full Canadian control through the
945:. It was repealed in 1982 and replaced by a similar provision in the
25:
Royal
Proclamation which brought the Act into force on July 1, 1867
997:
961:
1427:
1006:
the powers of the federal government and the provinces
1456:(Toronto: MacMillan Co. of Canada, 1977), pp. 63–64.
1480:
960:is the constitutional statute which established
1080:, dealing with the federal legislative power.
935:article 20 de la Loi constitutionnelle de 1867
1170:. Section 20 codified the British practice.
1155:
904:
1111:, which reunited the two provinces into the
1454:Commentary on the British North America Act
1262:(Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1997).
1091:In 1791, the British Parliament passed the
1065:Yearly Session of the Parliament of Canada
911:
897:
866:Fifth: Allegiance and Senate Qualification
1446:
1220:
1218:
1216:
1036:of the Constitution, and was renamed the
973:
941:, which required annual sittings of the
20:
1440:Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
1187:Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
1143:Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
1076:Section 20 was found in Part IV of the
948:Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
862:Fourth: Property of Ontario and Quebec
619:VIII. REVENUES; DEBTS; ASSETS; TAXATION
16:Provision of the Constitution of Canada
1481:
1287:
1285:
1237:
1235:
1213:
1083:
854:Second: Electoral Districts of Quebec
850:First: Electoral Districts of Ontario
543:VI. DISTRIBUTION OF LEGISLATIVE POWERS
1279:, Vol. 99, No. 3 (2018), pp. 349–393.
1229:, s. 52, s. 53, and Schedule, item 1.
1173:
1055:
996:and thus part of the supreme law of
1282:
1232:
13:
1260:1867 — How the Fathers Made a Deal
14:
1510:
1378:, 31 Geo. III (GB), c. 31, s. 27.
937:) is a repealed provision of the
1472:(Oxford University Press, 2023).
1309:, 30 & 31 Vict. (UK), c. 3.]
1459:
1432:
1419:
1407:
1395:
1392:, 3-4 Vict. (UK), c. 35, s. 31.
1381:
1367:
1361:British North America Act, 1867
1353:
1339:
1306:British North America Act, 1867
1030:British North America Act, 1867
967:British North America Act, 1867
825:XI. ADMISSION OF OTHER COLONIES
1325:
1312:
1298:
1265:
1252:
1200:
1:
1193:
1320:Constitutional Law of Canada
1293:Constitutional Law of Canada
1208:Constitutional Law of Canada
1206:Peter Hogg and Wade Wright,
729:IX. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
7:
365:V. PROVINCIAL CONSTITUTIONS
10:
1515:
1277:Canadian Historical Review
1156:Purpose and interpretation
979:
858:Third: Property of Canada
335:Money Votes; Royal Assent
1243:The Road to Confederation
1022:London Conference in 1866
870:Sixth: Natural Resources
1375:Constitutional Act, 1791
1124:Fathers of Confederation
1014:Charlottetown Conference
964:. Originally named the
811:X. INTERCOLONIAL RAILWAY
1350:(UK) 1982, c. 11, s. 2.
1093:Constitutional Act 1791
1494:Canadian Confederation
1489:Constitution of Canada
1333:Constitution Act, 1982
1226:Constitution Act, 1982
1136:Constitution Act, 1867
1095:, which split the old
1078:Constitution Act, 1867
1074:
1049:Constitution Act, 1982
1039:Constitution Act, 1867
994:Constitution of Canada
989:Constitution Act, 1867
982:Constitution Act, 1867
975:Constitution Act, 1867
957:Constitution Act, 1867
939:Constitution of Canada
934:
926:Constitution Act, 1867
886:Constitution Act, 1867
43:Constitution of Canada
34:Constitution Act, 1867
26:
1179:Section 50 of the Act
1145:. It was replaced by
1062:
1010:British North America
153:IV. LEGISLATIVE POWER
24:
1499:Federalism in Canada
943:Parliament of Canada
884:Proclamation of the
253:The House of Commons
111:III. EXECUTIVE POWER
1258:Christopher Moore,
1084:Legislative history
1028:under the name the
1425:G.P. Browne (ed.)
1414:London Resolutions
1402:Quebec Resolutions
1241:Donald Creighton,
1174:Related provisions
1168:Triennial Act 1694
1122:, produced by the
1120:Quebec Resolutions
1113:Province of Canada
1097:Province of Quebec
1056:Text of section 20
1026:British Parliament
1002:federal government
924:Section 20 of the
27:
1318:Hogg and Wright,
1291:Hogg and Wright,
1185:Section 5 of the
1147:section 5 of the
1132:London Conference
1128:Quebec Conference
1020:in 1864, and the
1018:Quebec Conference
921:
920:
877:COMING INTO FORCE
421:Legislative Power
1506:
1473:
1470:"Triennial Acts"
1466:Oxford Reference
1463:
1457:
1452:W.H. McConnell,
1450:
1444:
1436:
1430:
1423:
1417:
1411:
1405:
1399:
1393:
1385:
1379:
1371:
1365:
1357:
1351:
1343:
1337:
1329:
1323:
1316:
1310:
1302:
1296:
1289:
1280:
1269:
1263:
1256:
1250:
1239:
1230:
1222:
1211:
1204:
913:
906:
899:
29:
28:
1514:
1513:
1509:
1508:
1507:
1505:
1504:
1503:
1479:
1478:
1477:
1476:
1464:
1460:
1451:
1447:
1437:
1433:
1424:
1420:
1412:
1408:
1400:
1396:
1386:
1382:
1372:
1368:
1358:
1354:
1347:Canada Act 1982
1344:
1340:
1330:
1326:
1317:
1313:
1303:
1299:
1290:
1283:
1270:
1266:
1257:
1253:
1240:
1233:
1223:
1214:
1205:
1201:
1196:
1176:
1158:
1086:
1067:
1058:
992:is part of the
984:
978:
917:
868:
864:
860:
856:
852:
585:VII. JUDICATURE
367:Executive Power
366:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1512:
1502:
1501:
1496:
1491:
1475:
1474:
1458:
1445:
1431:
1418:
1406:
1394:
1380:
1366:
1352:
1338:
1324:
1311:
1297:
1281:
1264:
1251:
1231:
1212:
1198:
1197:
1195:
1192:
1175:
1172:
1163:Triennial Acts
1157:
1154:
1109:Union Act 1840
1085:
1082:
1057:
1054:
980:Main article:
977:
972:
919:
918:
916:
915:
908:
901:
893:
890:
889:
880:
879:
873:
872:
846:
845:
839:
838:
828:
827:
821:
820:
814:
813:
807:
806:
732:
731:
725:
724:
622:
621:
615:
614:
588:
587:
581:
580:
546:
545:
539:
538:
424:
423:
417:
416:
370:
369:
361:
360:
338:
337:
331:
330:
256:
255:
249:
248:
182:
181:
175:
174:
156:
155:
149:
148:
114:
113:
107:
106:
80:
79:
73:
72:
62:
61:
59:I. PRELIMINARY
55:
54:
46:
45:
38:
37:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1511:
1500:
1497:
1495:
1492:
1490:
1487:
1486:
1484:
1471:
1467:
1462:
1455:
1449:
1442:
1441:
1435:
1428:
1422:
1415:
1410:
1403:
1398:
1391:
1390:
1384:
1377:
1376:
1370:
1363:
1362:
1356:
1349:
1348:
1342:
1335:
1334:
1328:
1321:
1315:
1308:
1307:
1301:
1294:
1288:
1286:
1278:
1274:
1271:Ben Gilding,
1268:
1261:
1255:
1248:
1244:
1238:
1236:
1228:
1227:
1221:
1219:
1217:
1209:
1203:
1199:
1191:
1189:
1188:
1182:
1180:
1171:
1169:
1165:
1164:
1153:
1151:
1150:
1144:
1139:
1137:
1133:
1129:
1125:
1121:
1116:
1114:
1110:
1106:
1102:
1098:
1094:
1089:
1081:
1079:
1073:
1070:
1066:
1061:
1053:
1051:
1050:
1045:
1041:
1040:
1035:
1031:
1027:
1023:
1019:
1016:in 1864, the
1015:
1011:
1007:
1003:
999:
995:
991:
990:
983:
976:
971:
969:
968:
963:
959:
958:
952:
950:
949:
944:
940:
936:
932:
928:
927:
914:
909:
907:
902:
900:
895:
894:
892:
891:
888:
887:
882:
881:
878:
875:
874:
871:
867:
863:
859:
855:
851:
848:
847:
844:
841:
840:
837:
833:
830:
829:
826:
823:
822:
819:
816:
815:
812:
809:
808:
805:
801:
797:
793:
789:
785:
781:
777:
773:
769:
765:
761:
757:
753:
749:
745:
741:
737:
734:
733:
730:
727:
726:
723:
719:
715:
711:
707:
703:
699:
695:
691:
687:
683:
679:
675:
671:
667:
663:
659:
655:
651:
647:
643:
639:
635:
631:
627:
624:
623:
620:
617:
616:
613:
609:
605:
601:
597:
593:
590:
589:
586:
583:
582:
579:
575:
571:
567:
563:
559:
555:
551:
548:
547:
544:
541:
540:
537:
533:
529:
525:
521:
517:
513:
509:
505:
501:
497:
493:
489:
485:
481:
477:
473:
469:
465:
461:
457:
453:
449:
445:
441:
437:
433:
429:
426:
425:
422:
419:
418:
415:
411:
407:
403:
399:
395:
391:
387:
383:
379:
375:
372:
371:
368:
363:
362:
359:
355:
351:
347:
343:
340:
339:
336:
333:
332:
329:
325:
321:
317:
313:
309:
305:
301:
297:
293:
289:
285:
281:
277:
273:
269:
265:
261:
258:
257:
254:
251:
250:
247:
243:
239:
235:
231:
227:
223:
219:
215:
211:
207:
203:
199:
195:
191:
187:
184:
183:
180:
177:
176:
173:
169:
165:
161:
158:
157:
154:
151:
150:
147:
143:
139:
135:
131:
127:
123:
119:
116:
115:
112:
109:
108:
105:
101:
97:
93:
89:
85:
82:
81:
78:
75:
74:
71:
67:
64:
63:
60:
57:
56:
53:
52:
48:
47:
44:
40:
39:
36:
35:
31:
30:
23:
19:
1465:
1461:
1453:
1448:
1439:
1434:
1426:
1421:
1409:
1397:
1388:
1383:
1374:
1369:
1360:
1355:
1346:
1341:
1332:
1327:
1322:, para. 4:1.
1319:
1314:
1305:
1300:
1295:, para. 1:2.
1292:
1276:
1267:
1259:
1254:
1242:
1225:
1207:
1202:
1186:
1183:
1177:
1167:
1161:
1159:
1148:
1142:
1140:
1135:
1117:
1108:
1105:Upper Canada
1101:Lower Canada
1092:
1090:
1087:
1077:
1075:
1068:
1064:
1063:
1059:
1047:
1037:
1029:
987:
985:
974:
965:
955:
953:
946:
925:
923:
922:
885:
876:
842:
824:
810:
728:
618:
584:
542:
420:
364:
334:
252:
178:
171:
152:
110:
76:
58:
49:
41:Part of the
32:
18:
1483:Categories
1194:References
1044:Patriation
1034:Patriation
179:The Senate
1416:, no. 27.
1404:, no. 28.
1389:Union Act
1336:, Part V.
843:SCHEDULES
77:II. UNION
1364:, s. 20.
1072:Session.
1042:. Since
51:PREAMBLE
1443:, s. 5.
1149:Charter
1126:at the
1012:at the
1247:online
998:Canada
962:Canada
931:French
1099:into
320:51(2)
316:51(1)
1103:and
1004:and
986:The
954:The
836:147
832:146
818:145
804:144
800:143
796:142
792:141
788:140
784:139
780:138
776:137
772:136
768:135
764:134
760:133
756:132
752:131
748:130
744:129
740:128
736:127
722:126
718:125
714:124
710:123
706:122
702:121
698:120
694:119
690:118
686:117
682:116
678:115
674:114
670:113
666:112
662:111
658:110
654:109
650:108
646:107
642:106
638:105
634:104
630:103
626:102
612:101
608:100
574:94A
566:93A
558:92A
324:51A
1485::
1468::
1284:^
1275:,
1234:^
1215:^
1138:.
1115:.
1069:20
1052:.
951:.
933::
834:,
802:,
798:,
794:,
790:,
786:,
782:,
778:,
774:,
770:,
766:,
762:,
758:,
754:,
750:,
746:,
742:,
738:,
720:,
716:,
712:,
708:,
704:,
700:,
696:,
692:,
688:,
684:,
680:,
676:,
672:,
668:,
664:,
660:,
656:,
652:,
648:,
644:,
640:,
636:,
632:,
628:,
610:,
606:,
604:99
602:,
600:98
598:,
596:97
594:,
592:96
578:95
576:,
572:,
570:94
568:,
564:,
562:93
560:,
556:,
554:92
552:,
550:91
536:90
534:,
532:89
530:,
528:88
526:,
524:87
522:,
520:86
518:,
516:85
514:,
512:84
510:,
508:83
506:,
504:82
502:,
500:81
498:,
496:86
494:,
492:85
490:,
488:84
486:,
484:83
482:,
480:82
478:,
476:81
472:80
470:,
468:79
466:,
464:78
462:,
460:77
458:,
456:76
454:,
452:75
450:,
448:74
446:,
444:73
442:,
440:72
438:,
436:71
434:,
432:70
430:,
428:69
414:68
412:,
410:67
408:,
406:66
404:,
402:65
400:,
398:64
396:,
394:63
392:,
390:62
388:,
386:61
384:,
382:60
380:,
378:59
376:,
374:58
358:57
356:,
354:56
352:,
350:55
348:,
346:54
344:,
342:53
328:52
326:,
322:,
318:,
314:,
312:50
310:,
308:49
306:,
304:48
302:,
300:47
298:,
296:46
294:,
292:45
290:,
288:44
286:,
284:43
282:,
280:42
278:,
276:41
274:,
272:40
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