Constitutional History of Canada

The constitutional history of the Canada begins in 1763 with the Traité from Paris with which the France yielded most of the News-France to the Great Britain.

Formed by a act of federation in 1867, modern Canada obtained its autonomy in 1931 and repatriated its constitution (by adding to it a charter of the rights) since the the United Kingdom in 1982. The Constitution of Canada is an amalgam of the constitutional laws during this period.

Treaty of Paris (1763)

principal Article: Treaty of Paris

February 10th, 1763, France yields the major part of its colonies of News-France to Great Britain. The treated of Paris of 1763, which puts an end to the Guerre Seven Year old, confirms the final transfer, by France, of the Canada, its dependences and the Île of Cape-Breton the. France also gives up all its claims of possession of the Acadie or the Nova Scotia. In order to prevent that it does not fall to the hands from the British, France more early yielded the Louisiana to the Spain by the Traité of Fontainebleau signed one year, in 1762. Spain will take truly possession of the territory only in 1766.

At the time of the signature of the Treaty of Paris, Canada is already under British military control since the capitulation of the government from News-France in Montreal, on September 8th, 1760. (See the Articles of capitulation of Montreal.)

Royal proclamation (1763)

principal Article: royal Proclamation of 1763

Great Britain reveals its policy concerning its new possessions of America in the royal Proclamation of October 7th, 1763. The proclamation re-elects off Canada Province Quebec , redefined its territorial borders and orders the setting-up of a colonial government directed directly by London.

Although this document is not a true constitution, it expresses the will of the British crown to establish the law and the British government on its new territories. The proclamation was thus regarded as the constitution de facto of Canada to the coming into effect of the Acte of Quebec in 1774.

With this proclamation, the British crown gave to the future governors new colonies “ the capacity and the authority to order and convene, opinion and assent of our Council in their respective governments, as soon as the state and the conditions of the colonies allow it, of the general meetings in the way prescribed and followed in the colonies and the provinces of America placed under our immediate government; ”.

The governors also received “ the capacity to make, with the assent of Nosdits councils and of the representatives of the people who will have to be convene such as above-mentioned, to issue and sanction laws, statutes and ordinances to ensure public peace, the good order as well as the good government of the aforesaid colonies, their populations and their inhabitants, conformément as much as possible with the laws of England and the payments and restrictions of use in the other colonies. ”.

The principal elements of the proclamation went against the Articles of capitulation of Montreal, which granted to the Canadians the privilege to preserve their civil laws and freedom to practice their religion.

The arrival of James Murray at the post of Governor as a chief of the Province of Quebec marked the beginning of the civil administration and the end of a military administration which lasted four years.

Considering the circumstances inappropriate with the British establishment of institutions in the colony, Murray was of opinion that it was more practical to preserve the Canadian civil institutions. Murray believed that, with time, the Canadians would recognize themselves the superiority of British civilization and would voluntarily adopt its language, its religion, and its habits. It officially recommended to maintain the law civil French and to exempt the Canadians of the Serment of the test which was incompatible with their catholic faith.

Nevertheless, Murray followed its instructions and began the establishment from a British civil government. September 17th, 1764, the Court of the bench of the king ( Short off the King' S Bench ) and the Cour of the common plaids ( Runs Common Pleas off) are made up.

The tensions developed quickly between the British merchants (or old subjects), lately established in the colony, and the Murray Governor. Those, very little satisfied of the state of the country, required that British institutions be created immediately. They required that the British right be forced in order to protect their commercial interests and that a Room of assembly is created for the anglophone Protestants. Murray did not have very high estimate these people who made pressure on him. In a letter in British Lords off Trade, it refers to them as “licencieux fanatics” who would not be satisfied that by “expulsion with the Canadians”.

The reconciling approach of Murray vis-a-vis the requests of the Canadians was very badly accepted by the merchants. In May 1764, they petitioned the king so that Murray is recalled to London, showing it to betray the interests of Great Britain by its defense of the interests of the Canadians. The traders succeeded in obtaining what they wanted. Murray was denied the charges, gained its cause, but it did not return in the province of Quebec. In 1768, it is replaced by Guy Carleton, which will contribute to the drafting of the Act of Quebec of 1774.

Movement of restoration (1764-1774)

Since 1764, new subjects are linked to obtain a formal recognition their civil laws and monk.

October 29th, 1764, 94 Canadian subjects subject a petition requiring that the orders of the king be available in French and that they are allowed to them to take part in the government.

In December 1773, of the Canadian lords a petition and a report submit to the king in whom they ask:

Which are restored the laws, the privileges, and the French habits
That the province finds its old borders
That the law of Great Britain is applied without distinction on all the subjects

They express as the opinion as time is not suitable with the introduction of a room of elective assembly because, according to them, the colony cannot allow it financially. They rather propose a great council, composed of new and old subjects. In May 1774, the British merchants of Quebec answer by submitting their point of view to the king.

The movement will triumph definitively with the coming into effect over the Act over Quebec in 1774.

Movement of reform (1765-1791)

Since 1765, a group of British merchants of Quebec addresses a petition to the king to ask for “the establishment of a room of representatives in this province as in all the other provinces” of the continent. Indeed, all the colonies under British domination have parliamentary institutions, even Nova Scotia which has its Parliament since 1758. This movement initialiement does not receive any support on behalf of the Canadians. The movement will cease only with the coming into effect of the constitutional Act in 1791.

Act of Quebec (1774)

principal Article: Act of Quebec

The Act of Quebec grants several of the requests of the Canadians. Adoptee on June 13rd, 1774, the act brings the following changes:

the territory of the province of Quebec is extended considerably to the west and the south. The territory henceforth covers the totality of the basin of Large the Lakes and included the area in the past indicated under the name of Pays of in top .
the free practice of the catholic faith is confirmed. The Catholic church is officially recognized and authorized to operate under the benevolent eye of the British sovereign.
the Canadians are exempted oath of the Test, which is replaced by an oath with George III who does not include a reference to the Protestantisme. This allows the Canadians, mainly catholic, to hold of the stations in the colonial administration.
the application of the French civil laws is entirely restored. Tenure seigneuriale of the grounds is thus maintained.
the British criminal code is established.

No assembly of representation of the people is created, which made it possible to the governor to continue to reign with the assistance of its advisers.

The British merchants of Quebec underwent a reverse with this new act, which was unaware of their most important requests. They continued nevertheless to make countryside in order to remove the French civil code and establish a room of assembly excluding the catholics and the French-speaking people.

The Act of Quebec was also accommodated very negatively by the British colonies in the south. Indeed, this act makes party of the Intolerable Acts which were denounced by the members of Parliament of the colonies of British North America, some time before the release of the American Révolution.

Letter with the inhabitants of the province of Quebec (1775)

During the revolution, the continental Congrès tried to enter in direct contact with the Canadians. The delegates of the congress indeed wrote two letters (Lettre with the inhabitants of the province of Quebec, above Canada and Lettre with the inhabitants of Canada) inviting them to take share with the revolution. The two letters circulated in Canada, especially in the cities.

The first letter and is dated October 26th, 1774 signed by the president of the congress, Henry Middleton. It was translated into French by Fleury Mesplet, which printed it in Philadelphia. It will distribute of them copies itself to Montreal. The letter treats cause of the democratic government, Séparation of the capacities, To be able of taxation, Habeas corpus, Procès in front of jury and of the Freedom of press.

May 22nd, 1775, the bishop of Quebec Jean-Olivier Briand made mandement emit one in which it enjoignait the Canadians to close their ears with the call of the “rebels” and to defend their country and their new king (George III) against the invasion.

The second letter of the congress, dated May 25th, 1775, is shorter and invites the inhabitants of Canada not to make the error be combined against the revolutionary forces. The congress knew whereas the British colonial government and the catholic clergy had already asked the Canadians to resist the call of the revolutionists.

Although the British and the revolutionists succeeded in recruiting Canadians for the militia, the majority of the population remained neutral in the conflict.

Resumption of the movement of reform (1784)

In 1778, Frederick Haldimand becomes governor in replacement of Guy Carleton. It will be used until the return as Carleton (become Lord Dorchester meanwhile) in 1786. Shortly after the War of independence of the United States, which finishes with the signature of the Traité of Paris in 1783, the constitutional question remakes surface.

In July 1784, Pierre of Calvet, rich merchant Huguenot of French origin established in Montreal, makes publish the lampoon Appel with the justice of the State in London. Printed in English and French, the document constitutes the first plea in favor of a constitutional reform in Canada.

Of Calvet, imprisoned by Haldimand at the same time and for the same reasons as Fleury Mesplet and Valentine Jautard, suspected of sympathizing and of collaborating with the Americans, undertaken to make known the injustice which one had made towards him. It undertaken to make the lawsuit of the Halimand governor by publishing The off Puts Peter Of Calvet , legal kind of factum and, a few months later, its Appel with the justice of the State , which contained a detailed plan of constitutional reform.

November 24th, 1784, two petitions for a room of assembly, one signed per 1436 “new subjects” (of the Canadians) and the other by 855 “old subjects” (British), were sent to the king of Great Britain. The first petition contained 14 requests. An headed document has for Plan has House Assembly off is also outlined in same November. In December, two other documents, Year Address to His Majesty in opposition to the House off Assembly and Objections are printed under the press of Fleury Mesplet in Montreal. The objection with the Room of assembly was based on the opinion that the colony was not, once again, in position to be made tax.

When the petition of November 24th was submitted to the king, of many loyal supporters sought already refuge in the province of Quebec and Nova Scotia. To Quebec, the colonists lately made contributed to increase the number of people favorable to a fast constitutional reform. In Nova Scotia, the loyal supporters required a separated colony, which gave rise to New Brunswick.

Parliamentary constitution project (1789)

When Guy Carleton returned to his post of governor, it was already with the current of the arrival of the loyal supporters and knew that would force with constitutional changes. October 20th, 1789, the Secretary of the interior William Wyndham Grenville writes a private and secret letter with the Dorchester governor to inform it of the plans which the advisers of the king worked out to modify the constitution of Canada. The letter leaves little doubt as for the influence that the war of American independence and the storming of the Bastille (which had occurred in July) had on the decision of London.

In the first paragraph, written Grenville: “ I amndt persuaded that it is does not have off true Policy to make thesis Concessions At has time when they may Be received ace matter off favor, and when it is in direct Our own power to regulate and the manner off applying them, rather than to wait 'till they shall Be extorted from Us by has necessity which shall neither leave Us any discretion in the form, NOR any merit in the give substance off what we. ”

What one could translate by: “I am persuaded that it is there a goal of a supposed policy which to make these concessions at one time when they can be received like matter of favor, and at one time when it is in our capacity to regulate it and lead it to our manner, rather than to wait until this capacity are extorted to us by a need which will not as leave to us any discretion that to the form, nor of merit as that to the substance of what we give. ”

Grenville, which wrote the constitution in August 1789, was named with the House of Lords before having time to subject itself its project to the British House of Commons. It is thus the Prime Minister William Pitt who did it in his place.

Following the deposit of the project, British merchants installed in Quebec dispatch Adam Lymburner in London to present their opposition to it. The British subjects represented by Lymburner are objected to the creation of two provinces, suggest the increase in the number of deputies, the elections at the three years (instead of seven) and require an electoral division which would have caused of surreprésenter the old subjects by granting more representatives to the populations of the cities.

The objections of Lymburner will vigorously be fought by the deputy Charles James Fox and finally also rejected by Pitt.

Constitutional act (1791)

principal Article: constitutional Act

The constitutional Acte of 1791 is a law adopted by the British Parliament the June 10th 1791 which had as an main objective to satisfy the requests of the subjects Loyalistes having left the the United States following the Guerre of American independence of 1775 - 1783.

The law, which contained 50 articles, brought the following changes to the institutional arrangement established in 1774 by the Acte of Quebec:

the Province of Quebec is divided into two distinct provinces: the Low-Canada and the High-Canada;
Each of the two provinces is seen allotted a legislative Assemblée elected as well as a council Législatif and a council Exécutif named by the General governor, representing British capacity in the colony;
High-Canada is under the administration of a Lieutenant governor named by the general governor whereas Low-Canada is under the direct administration of a representative of the general governor;
the legislative councils must be made up of at least seven members in High-Canada and of at least fifteen members in Low-Canada. The members are appointed for lives;
the legislative Parliament must be made up of at least sixteen members in High-Canada and of at least fifty members in Low-Canada;
the general governor is seen allotted the capacity to name the speaker of the legislative Parliament, to decide place and date of the elections and to approve or reject the adoption of the laws;
Some forecasts of the law allot grounds to the Protestant Churches , in the two provinces.

The partition of the territory aimed at constituting a province, High-Canada, within which the subjects loyal supporters, constituting a numerical majority there, could be organized according to the British law and habits. As soon as the province was created, a series of laws were adopted by its Parliament in order to remove the French civil code. In Low-Canada, the coexistence of the French civil law and British criminal right continued.

Although it solved the immediate problems dependant on the establishment of the loyal supporters in Canada, the new constitution brought its batch of political problems while preserving the old ones. Some of these problems were common to both provinces, whereas others were single with one or the other. The problems which affected the two provinces are:

the legislative Assemblies elected did not have full control on the incomes of the province
the Governor and the Legislative councils were not responsible with respect to the legislative Parliament

In the two provinces, a movement for the constitutional reform was organized within the majority party, the Canadian Party in Low-Canada and the Reformers in High-Canada. Chief of the Canadian Party, Pierre-Stanislas Bédard is the first politician of Low-Canada to formulate a reform project to put an end to the opposition between the elected legislative Parliament and the Governor and his Council which answered only the Colonial Office of London. Putting before the idea of the ministerial responsibility, he proposes that the members of the Legislative council is named by the Governor on recommendation of the elective Room.

Project of Union of Canadas (1822)

In 1822, the secretary of the Colonial Office Lord Bathurst and his under-secretary Robert John Wilmot-Horton secretly submit to the Communes of London a project of legislative union of the Canadian provinces. The news, which arrived at August, is two months after the adjournment of the discussions on the subject, caused a strong reaction in Low-Canada.

The bill in question, supported by the governor Dalhousie, of the anglophone petitioners of the Cantons of the East, Quebec and Kingston, provided, inter alia things, that each of the two sections of the new plain province would have to the maximum 60 representatives, which would have put the French-speaking majority of Low-Canada in minority in the new Parliament. Very quickly, of many people mobilize themselves and of the citizens of Low-Canada and High-Canada petitions in opposition to the project prepare.

With the opening of the session at the Parliament of Low-Canada on January 11th, 1823, the subject is discussed. Ten days later, on January 21st, the legislative Parliament adopts a resolution envisaging sends it of a low-Canadian delegation in London in order to announce the quasi-unanimous opposition of the representatives of Low-Canada to the project of union. Exceptionally, the Legislative council gives his support to this resolution by a voice of majority. Having in their possession a petition of some 60.000 names, the President of the legislative Parliament, Louis-Joseph Papineau, just as the deputy John Neilson, go to London to present the majority opinion of the population which they represent. Vis-a-vis the massive opposition of principal concerned, the British government gives up finally the project subjected to the adoption by its Colonial Office .

Report/ratio of the special committee of the House of Commons (1828)

The general dissatisfaction against the government Dalhousie intensifies with the current of the year 1827.

As of January 1828, the various constitutional committees of Low-Canada, joined together in assembly in Montreal, make the decision to delegate John Neilson, Denis-Benjamin Viger and Augustin Cuvillier in London in order to submit the petitions and the addresses of the inhabitants to the British Parliament.

In the petition, the signatories complain about various arbitrary acts and illegal clerks by the Dalhousie governor. The petition mentions that governor a:

used public sums in infringment of the law
falsified public documents
maintained John Caldwell at the station of receiver-general after this one had acknowledged to have taken share with embezzlements
misused of its authority of commander-in-chief of the army to influence, to intimidate the inhabitants which were opposed to his action
returned several officers of militia and officers civil without valid reason
dissolves the room of assembly arbitrarily on several occasions
to refuse to recognize the president of the assembly which the representatives had elected

Following the presentation of the petition on July 14th, a special committee of the House of Commons is set up in order to make the light on the administration civilian of the Dalhousie governor in Canada. The committee is chaired by Thomas Frankland Lewis.

The report/ratio of the special committee, published on July 22nd, 1828, recognizes the founded good of the complaints against the Dalhousie governor. This last is dislocated of its functions and replaced by James Kempt, which between officially in function on September 8th.

92 resolutions of the legislative Parliament of Low-Canada (1834)

February 17th, 1834, the legislative Parliament deposits the 92 resolutions. The following day, a special committee is set up in order to formulate proposals for an amendment for its adoption. The 92 resolutions do not achieve the unanimity in the room nor within the majority party. Indeed, a minority of patriotic deputies will be opposed to the resolutions as formulated and will leave the party when that the majority will vote in favor. Some of them, whose John Neilson and Andrew Stuart, will join the constitutional Association of Quebec.

The first 3 resolutions point out the facts of the history which attest the honesty of the people low-Canadian towards the British sovereign.

Resolutions 4 and 5 evoke the efforts which were made by the inhabitants of the province to accommodate and adapt the British subjects in a spirit of equality and justice for all without regard at the origin or the religious belief.

Resolutions 6 to 11 recall the political events of 1827-28 during which a committee of the House of Commons of London was installation in order to study the constitutional problems of two Canadas.

Resolutions 12 to 17 explain the reasons of the preference of the legislative Parliament for the introduction of the principle of electivity into the appointment of the members of the Legislative council.

Royal commission of enquiry into all the sorrows affecting the subjects of its majesty in Low-Canada (1835)

Following the adoption of the 92 resolutions, the Gosford governor arrives at Low-Canada to replace the Aylmer governor. Gosford sets up a royal commission of enquiry which Charles E. Gray and George Gipps carried out. The Royal Commission for the Investigation off all Grievances Affecting His Majesty' S Subjects off Lower Canada presents his report/ratio on November 17th, 1836. It is starting from this report/ratio that the 10 resolutions of John Russel are formulated.

10 resolutions of John Russel (1837)

March 6th, 1837, John Russel, then Minister of Interior Department, submits 10 resolutions to the British Parliament in answer to the 92 resolutions of 1834. By these resolutions, the imperial Parliament rejects the whole of the requests of the legislative Parliament of Low-Canada and allows even the executive council to exceed the authority of the budgetary matter room.

The decision of London is very badly received by the majority of Low-Canada and announces a change of strategy on behalf of the patriotic Party.

Suspension of the constitutional Act (1838)

Approximately four months after having proclaimed the martial Law in the district of Montreal, the Gosford Governor suspends, on March 27th, 1838, the constitutional Act of 1791 and makes found the special Council in order to direct the Parliament without legislative assembly.

Report/ratio on the businesses of British North America (1839)

principal Article: Report/ratio on the businesses of British North America

The new governor and High-Commissioner George John Lambton, Earl de Durham, arrive at Quebec on May 27th, 1838. It will leave the province on November first of the same year. Its load of High-Commissioner gave him the mandate to inquire and submit a report on the nature of the problems which had caused the insurrection armed with November 1837.

In its Report/ratio on the businesses of British North America , it will explain why it had with the believed departure found these problems in the constitution of 1791, in the balance of power and the administrative practice, but that instead of that it had found a “cause much deeper and more radical of the dissensions particular and disastrous in the province”. In his report/ratio, which will be published in London in February 1839, one can read “I expected to find a conflict between a government and people; I found two nations in war within the same State; I found a fight, not principles, but of races. ”

The principal recommendation of the report was the assimilation French-speaking Low-Canadians in order to prevent any future conflict of nationality. It justified this Ethnocide planned by the State while affirming, in the few 60 pages of the conclusion of his report, to want to leave the Low-Canadians of French origin of the state of inferiority in which they were compared to the English-speaking of the American continent.

To operate the assimilation, it suggested carrying out the legislative union of the provinces of Low-Canada and High-Canada in order to immediately place the French-speaking Low-Canadians in numerical minority within a new province unified. Become minority, the subjects free-catholics of Low-Canada would not be capable any more to make elect a majority of representatives to the legislative Parliament. It also recommended to reach at the requests of colonists concerning the responsible government. Written Durham:

“A plan by which one proposes to ensure the good government of Low-Canada, must include the means of putting a term at the agitation of the national conflicts within the legislature, while fixing, once for all, the national character of the province. I do not have any doubt as for the national character which must be given to Low-Canada; it must be that of the British Empire; that of the majority of the population of British America; that of the great race which will be, in very little time, prevalent on all the continent of North America. Without carrying out the change too quickly or too abruptly not to shock the feelings and to reduce the wellbeing of the existing generation, it must henceforth be the first and constant objective British government to establish, in this province, an English population, of English language and law, and to entrust its government to no other legislature but one definitely English legislature. ”

Act of Union (1840)

principal Article: Act of Union

Following the publication of the Report/ratio on the businesses of British North America, the Parliament of London adopts, in June 1840, the Acte of Union. The new law, which operates the legislative union Top and Low-Canada to form only one of them named Province of Canada, gives following the principal recommendation of the report of John George Lambton, but rejects the idea to grant a “responsible government” to the new entity.

Coming into effect as of February 1841, the 62 articles of the Act of Union bring the following changes:

the provinces of High-Canada and Low-Canada are unified in order to form the Province of Canada;
the old parliamentary institutions are abolished and replaced by a Parlement of single Canada;
Each of the two sections of the province corresponding to the old provinces are seen allotting an equal number of representative elected;
the old electoral constituencies are redécoupées in order to surreprésenter the population of old High-Canada and under-to represent the population of old Low-Canada;
the candidates with the legislative elections must from now on be owner of a ground of a value of at least 500 pounds sterling;
the mandates, proclamations, laws, procedures and newspapers from now on are published and preserved only in English language only;

Ministerial responsibility (1848)

The ministerial responsibility, main object of the parliamentary fights carried out by the Canadian Party to the Low-Canada and the Reformers in the High-Canada, materializes in 1848, when, according to the directives of London, the governor James Bruce, Count de Elgin agree to leave the chiefs of the majority parties in the Canada-Is and the Canada-West, Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine and Robert Baldwin, to train their own Executive council (or Cabinet).

The Province of Canada thus has a first government made up members exits of the elective Room. This material change occurred a few months after the governor of Nova Scotia, Sir John Harvey, let James Boyle Uniacke form his own government. Nova Scotia thus became in the facts the first colony of the British Empire to have a completely comparable government, in its operating process, with that of Great Britain.

Projects of confederation (1858-1864)

In 1858, Joseph-Charles Taché, doctor and journalist of Quebec, publishes a detailed project of federation. It is the first time that a similar project is presented on the public place since the proposal that John A. Roebuck had made in this direction with John George Lambton whereas he was governor of Canadas in 1838.

The same year, Alexander T. Galt, appointed of Sherbrooke, agrees to be a Minister for Finance in the government of Macdonald-Cartier provided that his own project of confederation is accepted.

Act of British North America (1867)

principal Article: Act of British North America of 1867

See also: Acts of British North America

The Act of British North America, sanctioned by the Victoria Queen on March 29th, 1867, gave rise to a federation made up of four British provinces, that is to say Ontario (Canada-West), Quebec (Canada-Is), Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. The new federal political entity was consequently indicated under the name of Dominion off Canada , expression which one translated into French by “Power of Canada”.

Province of Manitoba (1870)

principal Article: Act of Manitoba

See also: History of Manitoba

May 12th, 1870, London sanctions the Act of Manitoba adopted by the Parliament of Canada, which gives rise to the province of the same name. The law, which contains 36 articles, fixes the limits of the territories, the right to vote of the citizens, the representation with the Communes, the number of senators, creates the provincial legislature, allows the use of English and French the Parliament and in front of the courses and authorizes the setting-up of a system of education of the denominational type.

The coexistence, on the territory manitobain, of French-speaking and catholic communities (Mongrels) just as of anglophone and Protestant communities (English British and Canadians) gives place to an institutional arrangement copied on that of Quebec.

Province of the Colombia-British (1871)

Province of the Island-of-Prince-Edouard (1873)

Provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta (1905)

Statute of Westminster (1931)

principal Article: Statute of Westminster

By the Statute of Westminster, adoptee at the British Parliament on December 11th, 1931, the British dominions of Canada, from Newfoundland, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa obtained the political equality with the United Kingdom, making these old colonies of the independent States.

Royal commission of enquiry into the federal-provincial relations (1937)

principal Article: royal Commission of enquiry into the federal-provincial relations

Province of Newfoundland (1949)

Royal commission of enquiry into the constitutional problems (1953)

principal Article: royal Commission of enquiry into the constitutional problems

Royal commission of enquiry into bilingualism and the bicultural tradition (1963)

principal Article: Commission Laurendeau-Dunton

Charter of Victoria (1971)

principal Article: Charter of Victoria

Commission Pip-Robarts on the Canadian unit (1978)

Referendum on Sovereignty-Association (1980)

principal Article: Referendum of 1980 in Quebec

Repatriation of the AANB (1982)

Constitutional law of 1982

principal Article: constitutional Law of 1982

Agreement of the lake Meech (1989)

principal Article: Agreement of the lake Meech

Commission on the political future and constitutional of Quebec (1990)

Agreement of Charlottetown (1992)

principal Article: Agreement of Charlottetown

Referendum on sovereignty (1995)

principal Article: Referendum of 1995 in Quebec

The law on clareté (1998)

Documents in the constitutional history

Before the AANB

Articles of capitulation of Quebec (September 18th, 1759)
Articles of capitulation of Montreal (September 8th, 1760)
Treated of Paris (February 10th, 1763)
royal Proclamation (October 7th, 1763)
Petition of the tradesmen of Quebec (1764)
Instructions with the Governor Murray
Instructions with the Governor Carleton
Memory to support the requests of very subjected and very faithful the new subjects of its Majesty in Canada (1773)
Act of Quebec (June 22nd, 1774)
Declaration of independence of the United States of America (July 4th, 1776)
the humble one petition of the old and new subjects of Your Majesty asking for a room of Parliament (1784)
Petition to sir John Johnston, baronnet and others in favor of the loyal supporters established in Canada (1784)
Call to the justice of the State (1784)
Declaration of the human rights and the citizen (August 26th, 1789)
constitutional Act (June 10th, 1791)
Quatre-vingt-douze resolutions (February 21st, 1834)
Ten resolutions Russell (March 6th, 1837)
Declaration of independence of Low-Canada (February 22nd, 1838)
Report/ratio Durham (February 1839)
Act of Union (February 10th, 1841)
Act of British North America (July 1st, 1867)

Since the AANB

Act of Manitoba (1870)
Motion Francœur (1918)
Statute of Westminster (1931)
Report/ratio of the royal Commission of enquiry into the federal-provincial relations (Rowell-Dafoe-Sirois) (1940)
Report/ratio of the royal Commission of enquiry into the constitutional problems (Tremblay) (1953)
Report/ratio of the royal Commission of enquiry into bilingualism and the bicultural tradition (Laurendeau-Dunton) (1963)
Law on the official languages (1969)
Charter of Victoria (1971)
Report/ratio of the Commission of investigation into the situation of the French language and the linguistic rights to Quebec (Gendron) (1972)
Charter of the French language (1977)
Report/ratio of the Commission Pip-Robarts into the Canadian unit (1978)
Law into Sovereignty-Association (1980)
constitutional Law of 1982 (1982)
Agreement of the lake Meech (1989)
Report/ratio of the Committee Beaudoin-Edwards (June 20th, 1991)
Report/ratio of the Commission into the political future and constitutional of Quebec (Bélanger-Campeau) (March 27th, 1991)
Report/ratio Allaire (January 28th, 1991)
Report/ratio of the Parliamentary commission of study of the questions related with the accession of Quebec to sovereignty (1992)
Agreement of Charlottetown (1992)
Law on the sovereignty of Quebec (1995)
Agreement of Calgary (1997)
Reference relating to the secession of Quebec (1998)
Clarity Act (1998)
Law on the exercise of the basic rights and the prerogatives of the Québécois people and the State of Quebec (1999)
Report/ratio of the Auditor general of Canada (2004)

See too

Political of Political Quebec
of Canada
constitutional Debate in Canada

External bond

origins and the implementation of the constitutional Act of 1791
Canada in becoming - History of the constitution

Random links: