The Constitution

Introduction

Canada is a constitutional monarchy and a Commonwealth Realm with a federal system of parliamentary government and strong democratic traditions. Many of the country's legislative practices derive from the unwritten practices of and precedents set by the United Kingdom's Westminster parliament.

The Constitution of Canada is the supreme law in Canada. It is an amalgam of codified acts and uncodified traditions and conventions. It outlines Canada's system of government, as well as the civil rights of all Canadian citizens.

The composition of the Constitution of Canada is defined in section 52(2) of the Constitution Act, 1982 as consisting of the Canada Act 1982 (including the Constitution Act, 1982), all acts and orders referred to in the schedule (including the Constitution Act, 1867), and any amendments to these documents. Effectively, this includes all British legislation that predates or modifies the British North America Act. The Supreme Court of Canada held that the list is not exhaustive and includes unwritten doctrines as well. Nevertheless, almost all constitutional jurisprudence focuses on the Constitution Act, 1867, the Constitution Act, 1982, including the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and the so-called "unwritten constitution".

This section contains five sub-sections:

• Constitutional Monarchy
• Federalism
• Constitutional History
• Constitutional Documents
• The Governor General