AGLC4 Rule 15.3.1: Constitutions: Federal

The federal constitution is cited in one of three fixed forms, depending on whether the Constitution Act 1982, the Constitution Act 1867 or the Charter is meant. The short title in brackets is always included, even where the source is not cited again.

AGLC4 page 215

Formatting

  • The Canada Act 1982 is cited as a United Kingdom Act: italic title, then (UK) in round brackets, then the chapter and schedule with no comma after the bracket.
  • The Constitution Act 1867 is cited as an imperial Act: italic title, (Imp), a comma, the regnal year, a comma, then the chapter.
  • The schedule is abbreviated sch and a part is abbreviated pt, both lower case with no full stop.
  • The short title always follows in round brackets, inside curly single quotation marks, with the words of the short title italic.
  • The citation ends with a full stop after the closing round bracket.

Forms in the rule

Quoted from the Guide, page 215
  • Canada Act 1982 (UK) c 11, sch B (‘Constitution Act 1982’).
  • Constitution Act 1867 (Imp), 30 & 31 Vict, c 3 (‘Constitution Act 1867’).
  • Canada Act 1982 (UK) c 11, sch B pt I (‘Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms’).

See also

Check your footnotes against these rules

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Formats, examples, passages, tables and the forms marked Not are quoted from the Australian Guide to Legal Citation (4th ed, Melbourne University Law Review Association, 2018), with the page of the Guide they appear on. Titles, summaries and explanations are our own.