Constitution Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, chapter 66 is a revised provincial Act by the

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

legislature A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its p ...

. The Act outlines the powers and rules governing the executive and legislative branches of the provincial

government of British Columbia The Government of British Columbia (french: Gouvernement de la Colombie-Britannique) is the body responsible for the administration of the Canadian province of British Columbia. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown is the corporation sole, assum ...

. British Columbia is the only province of Canada to have such an act. Prior to its enactment, the powers and rules of the British Columbia executive and legislature were derived from the '' British Columbia Terms of Union'', which officially joined British Columbia into Canada. Those terms of union, in turn, continued the government established in the terms of union between the Colony of Vancouver Island with the Colony of British Columbia. The ''British Columbia Terms of Union'' is still part of the Constitution of Canada, and so the ''Constitution Act, 1996'' can not conflict with it. Unlike the

Constitution of Canada The Constitution of Canada (french: Constitution du Canada) is the supreme law in Canada. It outlines Canada's system of government and the civil and human rights of those who are citizens of Canada and non-citizens in Canada. Its contents a ...

, the British Columbia Constitution is a regular Act of the legislature and can be amended by a normal majority vote. However, any changes that would require an amendment to the ''British Columbia Terms of Union'' must be done with the consent of the federal government under the section 43 amending formula.

External links

Text of BC Constitution Act, 1996

Text of Canada's Constitution Acts 1867-1982
British Columbia provincial legislation

1996 in Canadian law 1996 in British Columbia {{constitution-stub