Federal Legislation
Brenda Lauritzen’s (CCLA) session on LwL YouTube (Nov. 2022) focusing on Federal Legislation (PP) including:
- Types of Legislation – both Print and Online sources
- Point in Time Legislation – including examples
- Legislative History – What were they thinking?
- Noting up – how to check if the law is still good?
- Tracking Legislation
Ontario Legislation
Brenda Lauritzen’s (CCLA) session on LwL YouTube (Nov. 2023) focusing on Ontario Legislation (PP) including:
- Types of Legislation – both Print and Online sources
- Point in Time Legislation – including examples
- Legislative History – What were they thinking?
- Noting up – how to check if the law is still good?
- Tracking Legislation
Great Library Research Guides for Canadian & Ontario Legislation
The Great Librarians have several great resources to assist with legislative research including Ontario.
How to use e-Laws (Ontario)
- e-Laws is the Ontario Government site for their Statutes & Regulations.
How to use the new e-Laws - How to research Ontario’s Laws using e-Laws – published by the Great Library
Is it in Force?
Just because a bill is passed, it does not automatically become in force. A bill can come into force:
- Upon Royal Assent
- Awaiting Proclamation:
- On a specified date in the Act – usually found in the last section
- Parts of an Act can come into force at different times.
- For more assistance, contact a Regional Library or LiRN’s Roving Librarian
Ontario Bills and debates in the Ontario Legislature
- Link to Current Ontario Bills & Debates
- Search Ontario Debates – commonly known as Hansard
- How an Ontario Bill becomes a law (statute).
- What is Hansard, Orders and Notices and Votes and Proceedings?
- How to research Ontario Bills and the legislative process? Queens U.
- Tracking Bills – use Lexis+ Legislative Pulse
What is Legislative Intent and How do I research this?
Legislative intent or “what were they thinking” refers to what the government was thinking when they created a bill / statute. Often a Bill starts out as a campaign promise and then needs to be “translated” into legalese when the drafting is done by legislative counsel staff who draft a Bill. Sometimes lawyer ask about further information about a Bill to understand its content or context.
1st Reading of Bill – When a government introduces a Bill to the Legislature/House of Commons, the Minister responsible will speak about what the government intends to do by creating this statute.
2nd Reading – Debate may occur and the government may offer more insights about why they introduced this bill – speaking to their intentions.
3td Reading – In the Ontario Legislature, the 3rd Reading is when some final debate will occur and the Bill is either passed with amendments or without. In the House of Commons, it is bicameral so it needs to then go through the same process in the Senate. The Senate can also introduce a Bill and then it needs to go through the House of Commons.
Debates therefore are where you look for legislative intent. Sometimes a government will publish some background reports where even more detailed information can be found about their intentions.
An excellent resource for further information is Researching Legislative Intent: A Practical Guide by two librarians from the Ontario Legislature Library. This book was published in 2019 by Irwin Law and available on vlex.
Older Bills and How does a bill become Law?
e-Laws offers great resources to understand the Legislative process for Ontario Bills.
Citation Examples for Legislation
LiRN suggests that you use the COAL Citation Guide available for free on CanLII.
Federal Statute
Copyright Act, RSC 1985, c C-42, at s 29.
Safe Streets and Communities Act, SC 2012, c 1.
Federal Regulation
National Parks Signs Regulations, CRC, c 1130 at s 12.
Accountable Advances Regulations, SOR/86-438
Ontario Statute
Evidence Act, RSO 1990, c E.23.
Treaties Recognition Week Act, 2016, SO 2016, c 18.
Ontario Regulation
Special Education Programs and Services, RRO 1990, Reg 306.
Family Arbitration, O Reg 134/07.
Provincial Bill
Bill 22, Family Law Statutes Amendment Act, 2010, 3rd Sess, 27th Leg, Alberta, 2010.
Regulations
Laws / Statutes / Acts are passed by the Legislatures. Regulations are created by bureaucrats and allow governments to regulate the more practical nature of the law, more nimbly. They can only be created under an enabling statute.
Regulations stipulate the particulars of the regulation. For example, the law may say we have “gun control ” but the regulations articulate the types of guns allowed, any bans or exemptions, permits, licensing rules, forms to be completed, ETC. Government create or amend regulations weekly in Ontario, bi-weekly in Canada.
Examples of citations for regulations are provided above under Citations.
Have any Legislative Research tips?