British North America Act of 1867
The British North America Act is name of a series of acts of the British Parliament dealing with the Constitution of Canada. The first and most important act of the series was passed in 1867 to create the Dominion of Canada and delegate internal self-government powers to it. Canada and the other British dominions achieved full independence only with the passage of the Statute of Westminster in 1931. In 1982 Canada patriated the constitution and entrenched within it the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Upon proclaimation of the Canada Act 1982, which effected the patriation of these British statutes to Canada, the Constitution Act, 1982 came into force. Under this Act the names of the various British North America Acts were changed to the Constitution Act, and together with the 1982 Act and other Acts of the British and Canadian parliaments have become collectively known as the Canadian Constitution.
The different acts of the series are distinguished by appending the year of their enactment. BNA acts were passed in 1867, 1871, 1886, 1907, 1915, 1916*, 1940, 1943*, 1946*, 1949, 1949 (No. 2)*, 1951*, 1952*, 1960, 1964, 1965, 1974 and 1975. Those marked with (*) have been repealed.
See also: British North America
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