Constitution of Canada

Patriated in 1982, adding a Charter of Rights and a homegrown amendment formula.

Overview

Canadas constitution remained a British statute until the Constitution Act 1982 patriated it, ending the need for Westminster approval of Canadian amendments. The 1982 act added the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, subject to a notwithstanding clause letting legislatures temporarily override certain rights, a distinctive compromise. The constitution is partly written, spread across the 1867 British North America Act, 1982 act, and conventions, and recognizes aboriginal and treaty rights in Section 35. It established full amendment power at home through general and regional consent formulas, and Quebec has never formally endorsed the 1982 patriation.