8. Constitution of Canada

The Canadian Constitution encompasses a wide set of principles and values that govern key political relations in the Canadian society.

8.1. Salient Features

8.1.1. Constitutional Monarchy

♤ It is the central component of Canada’s constitutional framework.

♤ The Constitution Act, 1867 states that executive government and authority in Canada is vested in the Canadian Monarchy (which Canada shares with Great Britain and some other former British colonies). The British Queen is the formal head of the state.

o The Act further provides for the offices of the Governor General of Canada (at the federal level) and Lieutenant Governors (at the provincial level), recognized as the Monarch’s representatives in Canada.

♤ It is important to note, however, that while the written constitution explicitly places executive authority in the hands of the Monarch and his/her representatives, the unwritten constitutional convention holds that this authority is actually exercised by the Prime Minister and his/her Cabinet.

8.1.2. Parliamentary Government

The Canadian Constitution also provides for a Parliamentary system of government.