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LAW Legal Citation (McGill Guide) Quick Reference

Intended to be a quick reference for footnoting some common types of citations for Canadian legal publications.

Legislation

Legislation can include Statutes, Regulations, Bills, Constitutions, Treaties & International Agreements, and Indigenous Treaties. These types of materials can be found in different chapters throughout the Guide:

  • Chapter 2 includes Canadian Statutes, Regulations, Bills, and Constitutional documents (e.g. Charter of Rights),
  • Chapter 5 is for International Materials (e.g., treaties),
  • Chapter 4 is for Government Documents (e.g., Indigenous Treaties), and
  • Chapter 7 is for Foreign Sources (e.g., non-Canadian legislation).

Statutes (Rule 2.1)

Annual Statutes examples:

Family Law Act, SA 2003, c F-4.5.

Drug-Free Prisons Act, SC 2015, c 30.

Revised Statutes examples:

Territorial Lands Act, RSC 1985, c T-7, s 3.

Fair Trading Act, RSA 2000, c F-2.

Constitution and Charter of Rights (Rule 2.2)

 

Constitution Act, 1982, being Schedule B to the Canada Act 1982 (UK), 1982, c 11.

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Part I of the Constitution Act, 1982, being Schedule B to the Canada Act 1982 (UK), 1982, c 11, s 91(24).

Bills (Rule 2.4)

Canada

Bill C-5, An Act respecting the protection of wildlife species at risk in Canada, 2nd Sess, 37th Parl, 2002, cl 2(2) (as passed by the House of Commons 9 October 2002).

Provinces and Territories

Bill 20, Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Amendment Act, 2006, 2nd Sess, 26th Leg, 2006 (assented to 24 May 2006), SA 2006, c 17.

Regulations (Rule 2.5)

Polar Bear Pass Withdrawal Order, SOR/84-409.

Migratory Birds Regulations, CRC, c 1035, s 9 (CanLII).

Alberta Forest Land Use and Management Regulations, Alta Reg 197/1976, s 2.

Treaties & Other International Agreements (Rule 5.1)

Multilateral examples (Chapter 5.1.1):

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, 9 May 1992, 1771 UNTS 107, art 1 [UNFCCC].

Paris Agreement, being an Annex to the Report of the Conference of the parties on its twenty-first session, held in parties from 30 November to 13 December 2015--Addendum Part two: Action taken by the Conference of the parties at its twenty-first session, 12 December 2015, UN Doc FCCC/CP/2015/10/Add.1, 55 ILM 740 [Paris Agreement].

Bilateral example:

Treaty on Concord and Cooperation between Canada and the Russian Federation, 19 June 1992, Can TS 1993 No. 23.

 

Indigenous Treaties (Rule 4.2.5.2)

Indigenous Treaties and Land Claims Agreements example (Rule 4.2.5.2):

Treaty No 7 between Her Majesty the Queen and the Blackfeet and Other Indian Tribes, at the Blackfoot Crossing of Bow River and Fort Macleod, 18 February 1878, online: <rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca> [https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1100100028793/1581292336658] [Treaty 7].