Bill S-3 explained in plain English
A third Act to harmonize federal law with the civil law of Quebec and to amend certain Acts in order to ensure that each language version takes into account the common law and the civil law
Federal Parliament bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Parliament of Canada snapshot for 41st Parliament, 1st Session. MP vote breakdowns appear when the House of Commons publishes a recorded division export for that bill. Senate and House stage details include official debate/sitting links when LEGISinfo publishes them.
Our plain-language take, written for civic education.
Source: By PoliticalData.ca
This Act harmonizes federal law with Quebec's civil law by amending various statutes to ensure consistency between common law and civil law principles across language versions.
This bill, titled the Federal Law–Civil Law Harmonization Act, No. 3, amends various federal laws to ensure they align with Quebec's civil law and common law principles. It aims to harmonize legal terminology and concepts across different language versions of statutes, particularly as a result of changes introduced by the Civil Code of Québec.
- Amends numerous federal statutes to align their language versions with both common law and civil law principles.
- Introduces changes to definitions and legal terminology within various acts to reflect civil law concepts.
- Updates procedural aspects related to property, corporate law, and expropriation to ensure consistency across Canada's legal systems.
- Corporations and their directors, officers, employees, agents, and mandataries.
- Co-operatives and their members.
- The Business Development Bank of Canada.
- Individuals involved in trade and commerce, particularly those dealing with measured goods or services.
- Landowners and stakeholders affected by federal expropriation processes.
- Railway companies requiring land for their operations.
- Harbour commissions and entities involved in international bridges and tunnels.
- Users of meters and equipment regulated under the Electricity and Gas Inspection Act.
- Persons involved in the precious metals trade.
- The Registrar General of Canada.
- The public service, particularly those involved in legal harmonization and property administration.
- Ensures that legal language in federal statutes reflects both common law and civil law principles.
- Modifies definitions to accommodate civil law terminology, such as 'mandatary' in Quebec.
- Establishes procedures for expropriation that are consistent with both legal traditions.
- Clarifies the roles and responsibilities of corporate officers, employees, and agents in relation to statutory compliance.
- Defines the rights of individuals and entities affected by expropriation, including compensation and procedural rights.
- Royal assent was received on November 29, 2011.
- Changes to compensation calculations in expropriation cases may affect financial outcomes for landowners.
- Potential costs associated with rectifying or reissuing documents due to clerical errors.
- The bill amends various acts to clarify liability for offences, particularly holding officers, directors, or agents responsible for corporate offences.
- Provisions in several acts outline that employees or agents committing an offence on behalf of an accused can lead to the accused's conviction, unless due diligence is proven.
- The specific impact on individual statutes depends on the precise nature of the amendments made to their English and French versions.
- The bill relies on the interpretation and application of both common law and civil law principles, which may lead to variations in application across different jurisdictions or contexts.
- The effectiveness of the harmonization depends on the clarity and consistency of the definitions and amendments introduced.
- Section 165(2) indicates that if a provision of the Canada Marine Act comes into force before a specific section of this Act, that section of this Act is repealed, creating a dependency on the timing of other legislative enactments.
Updates provisions related to the powers of boards of trade and their arbitration processes.
Source: Sections 2 and 3
Modifies definitions, powers, and obligations concerning officers, employees, agents, and the bank's operations.
Source: Sections 4 to 12
Changes definitions related to corporate representation, ownership, and various procedures, including those for share registration and corporate documents.
Source: Sections 13 to 71
Modifies definitions and procedures related to cooperative membership, share ownership, and the rights and obligations of members and the cooperative.
Source: Sections 72 to 118
Clarifies the definition of 'product' and updates provisions regarding corporate liability and the responsibility of employees or agents for offences.
Source: Sections 119 to 121
Updates provisions related to the accreditation of meter verifiers and the procedures for claiming interests in forfeited meters.
Source: Sections 122 to 126
Revises definitions, procedures, and compensation rules related to expropriation, including the process for giving notice, making offers, and determining compensation values.
Source: Sections 127 to 153
Updates provisions concerning the sale or lease of measuring devices and the liability of corporations and their officers for offences.
Source: Sections 158 to 160
Modifies the application of the Expropriation Act to permissions granted for land use related to water power.
Source: Section 161
Adjusts the application of the Expropriation Act to land acquired for dry dock subsidies.
Source: Section 162
Modifies the application of the Expropriation Act to land acquired by harbour commissions.
Source: Section 163
Extends the expropriation provisions to persons constructing or altering international bridges and tunnels.
Source: Section 164
Ensures coordination between this Act and the Canada Marine Act regarding expropriation procedures.
Source: Section 165
Introduces consequential amendments related to the Weights and Measures Act.
Source: Section 161
Generated using AI from official bill text. Not legal advice. It is written by PoliticalData.ca for civic education, automatically checked and spot-reviewed before publishing.
Official textThe official summary published alongside the bill, shown exactly as written.
Source: Parliament of Canada (LEGISinfo)
On 29 September 2011, the Leader of the Government in the Senate introduced Bill S-3, A third Act to harmonize federal law with the civil law of Quebec and to amend certain Acts in order to ensure that each language version takes into account the common law and the civil law (Federal Law-Civil Law Harmonization Act, No. 3) in the Senate and it was given first reading. Bill S-3 seeks to make harmonization changes to 12 statutes, including the Canada Business Corporations Act and the Expropriation Act. This is the third harmonization bill to be tabled by the Government and it is part of the harmonization work that was begun by the Department of Justice Canada after the Civil Code of Québec came into force in 1994. The coming into force in 1994 of the Civil Code of Québec, which replaced the Civil Code of Lower Canada, 1866, had a significant impact on the application of federal statutes and regulations that refer to the province's private law. Harmonization of federal legislation with the civil law of Quebec was undertaken in order to prevent difficulties in applying federal legislation arising from the reform of the Civil Code of Québec. Harmonization involves reviewing all federal legislation the application of which requires reliance on provincial private law. Where necessary, harmonization changes ensure that federal legislation integrates the terminology, concepts and institutions of Quebec civil law. French common law terminology is also taken into account in this process.
This is the official summary published by the Parliament of Canada, shown verbatim. Not legal advice. PoliticalData.ca did not write or edit this text.
View on LEGISinfoParliamentary Process
Bill S-3, concerning the harmonization of federal law with Quebec's civil law, completed its legislative journey through the Senate and received Royal Assent in 2011.
This artifact details the procedural stages of Bill S-3 in the Senate. It indicates that the bill received its first reading on September 29, 2011, and subsequently went through second reading, committee review, and third reading. The bill ultimately received Royal Assent on November 29, 2011, becoming chapter 21 of the Statutes of Canada, 2011. The artifact also notes that a similar bill, S-12, was introduced in a previous Parliament and was at the second reading stage in the House of Commons.
On September 29, 2011, the Senate introduced Bill S-3 for first reading, discussed various national and international issues, and debated a motion concerning Asia Bibi.
This artifact details the Senate sitting on September 29, 2011. During this sitting, Bill S-3, an act to harmonize federal law with Quebec's civil law, was introduced and received its first reading. The sitting also included Senators' Statements on various topics including National Seniors Day, the oil sands industry, and tributes to individuals. Routine Proceedings saw the first reading of Bill S-3 and another bill, as well as a notice of motion regarding the Criminal Code. Question Period addressed agriculture, the Prime Minister's Office, and Aboriginal affairs. The sitting concluded with debate on a motion concerning Asia Bibi in Pakistan and an adjournment motion.
Bill S-3, concerning the harmonization of federal law with Quebec's civil law, completed its second reading in the Senate on multiple occasions before receiving royal assent.
This record shows the procedural steps for Bill S-3 in the Senate. It indicates that the bill completed its second reading stage on two separate occasions. Initially, it had its first reading on September 29, 2011, and its second reading on October 4, 2011. Major speeches related to the second reading occurred on October 19 and October 25, 2011. The bill then proceeded to committee and third reading. Later, it appears the bill was reintroduced or reconsidered, with a second reading, agreement, and referral to committee occurring on November 23, 2011, followed by report stage and third reading on the same day. The bill ultimately received royal assent on November 29, 2011.
On October 4, 2011, the Senate began the second reading debate for Bill S-3, a bill aimed at harmonizing federal law with Quebec's civil law, before adjourning the debate.
This record details a Senate sitting on October 4, 2011, where Bill S-3 was read for the second time and the debate was adjourned. The sitting also included statements by senators on various topics, tabling of reports, notices of motions, and discussions on other bills and government business. Notably, the debate on Bill S-3 focused on harmonizing federal law with Quebec's civil law and ensuring legal language versions account for both common law and civil law traditions.
The Senate began the second reading debate for Bill S-3, a bill to harmonize federal law with Quebec's civil law, with the sponsor explaining its purpose and history before the debate was adjourned.
On October 4, 2011, the Senate began the second reading debate for Bill S-3, a bill to harmonize federal law with Quebec's civil law. Senator W. David Angus, the bill's sponsor, spoke about the bill's purpose and history, noting it was identical to a previous bill (S-12) that had passed the Senate but died when Parliament dissolved. He explained that the bill aims to ensure federal laws respect both Quebec's civil law and the common law of other provinces by reviewing and amending federal statutes. The debate was adjourned to a later date. The sitting also included various other proceedings such as tabling reports, first reading of a bill, notices of motions, and discussions on topics including climate change, veterans' programs, the census, and international trade.
On October 19, 2011, the Senate continued debate on Bill S-3, a bill to harmonize federal law with Quebec's civil law, and adjourned the debate.
This record details a Senate sitting on October 19, 2011. The sitting included Senators' Statements on various topics, Routine Proceedings where a report was tabled and a notice of motion was given, and Question Period addressing Aboriginal Affairs, National Defence, and Public Safety. The main business of the day was the continuation of debate on Bill S-3, "A third Act to harmonize federal law with the civil law of Quebec and to amend certain Acts in order to ensure that each language version takes into account the common law and the civil law." The debate on Bill S-3 was adjourned. Other bills discussed included "World Autism Awareness Day Bill" and "Medical Devices Registry Bill," both of which had their second reading debates adjourned. A report from the Standing Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans regarding staffed lighthouses was also considered, and a motion to recognize December 10 as Human Rights Day was debated and adjourned.
During a Senate sitting on October 25, 2011, Bill S-3, aimed at harmonizing federal law with Quebec's civil law, was read a second time and referred to committee, following a debate that explored Canada's bijural legal system.
This Senate sitting on October 25, 2011, included proceedings related to Bill S-3, concerning the harmonization of federal law with Quebec's civil law. While the sitting covered various topics including senators' statements on personal achievements, tabled reports, questions on government policy, and debates on international affairs, the primary procedural action concerning Bill S-3 was its referral to committee after completing second reading. The debate at second reading focused on the historical and legal context of Canada's bijural system and the importance of harmonizing federal legislation.
During the Senate's second reading debate on Bill S-3, senators discussed the intricacies of Canada's bijural legal system and the importance of harmonizing federal laws with Quebec's civil law, after which the bill was sent to committee.
This record details a Senate debate on Bill S-3, focused on harmonizing federal law with Quebec's civil law. The debate highlighted the historical and ongoing complexities of Canada's bilingual and bijural legal system. Senators discussed the challenges in drafting legislation that respects both common law and civil law traditions, and the importance of ensuring federal laws are accessible and understandable in both French and English, reflecting the legal systems of Quebec and other provinces. The debate also touched upon the broader themes of linguistic duality and the role of bilingualism in the Supreme Court of Canada. Following the debate, the bill was referred to the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs.
This record details the completion of the Senate's committee consideration for Bill S-3, which ultimately received Royal Assent in late 2011.
This artifact describes the procedural steps for Bill S-3 in the Senate. It indicates that the bill completed its 'Consideration in committee' stage on November 3, 2011. The bill eventually received Royal Assent on November 29, 2011, becoming Statutes of Canada 2011, chapter 21. The artifact also lists other procedural stages the bill went through in both the Senate and the House of Commons.
During a Senate sitting on November 3, 2011, Bill S-3 was reported from committee without amendment, and a lengthy debate occurred regarding the appointment of the Auditor General of Canada, focusing on language proficiency and the selection process.
On November 3, 2011, the Senate convened for a sitting where several procedural matters were addressed. Notably, the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs presented its fourth report on Bill S-3, a bill concerning the harmonization of federal law with Quebec's civil law. The committee reported the bill without amendment. Other proceedings included the tabling of Supplementary Estimates (B) for 2011-12, the presentation of committee reports on the Conflict of Interest for Senators and a user fee proposal by the Parole Board of Canada, and a motion to authorize the National Finance Committee to study the Supplementary Estimates. A significant portion of the sitting was dedicated to debate regarding the proposed appointment of Michael Ferguson as the Auditor General of Canada, with considerable discussion concerning his proficiency in both official languages and the selection process.
This artifact shows that Bill S-3 completed its third reading in the Senate on November 15, 2011, and later received Royal Assent on November 29, 2011.
This record indicates that Bill S-3 completed its third reading in the Senate on November 15, 2011. The bill later received royal assent on November 29, 2011, becoming a statute of Canada in 2011. The artifact provided is a procedural record of the bill's passage through the Senate, not the full text of the bill itself.
The Senate completed the third reading of Bill S-3, a bill to harmonize federal law with Quebec's civil law, and engaged in discussions on various other matters including the F-35 aircraft, international conventions, education, and a report on pardon application fees.
On November 15, 2011, the Senate of Canada held its third reading debate for Bill S-3, an act to harmonize federal law with Quebec's civil law. The debate on Bill S-3 was brief, with the motion for third reading being adopted and the bill passing that stage. The rest of the sitting included various proceedings such as Senators' Statements on topics like Navy Appreciation Day and Bullying Awareness Week, Routine Proceedings where reports were tabled and notices of motions were given, and Question Period where senators discussed the F-35 aircraft purchase, the Convention on Cluster Munitions, and the Canadian Council on Learning. A significant portion of the sitting was dedicated to a report from the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs regarding user fees for pardon applications, which involved extensive discussion among senators about cost recovery, the impact on applicants, and potential system improvements. Other committee reports and inquiries were also addressed.
Bill S-3 completed its first reading in the House of Commons on November 16, 2011, before receiving Royal Assent on November 29, 2011.
This artifact records the first reading of Bill S-3 in the House of Commons on November 16, 2011. First reading is a procedural step where a bill is formally introduced and printed. The bill, titled 'A third Act to harmonize federal law with the civil law of Quebec and to amend certain Acts in order to ensure that each language version takes into account the common law and the civil law', later received Royal Assent on November 29, 2011, becoming Statutes of Canada 2011, c. 21.
On November 16, 2011, the House of Commons conducted its first reading of Bill S-3, an act to harmonize federal law with Quebec's civil law, as part of a sitting that also included debates on other matters and government business.
This artifact is a record of the House of Commons sitting on November 16, 2011. During this sitting, the House of Commons considered Bill S-3, "A third Act to harmonize federal law with the civil law of Quebec and to amend certain Acts in order to ensure that each language version takes into account the common law and the civil law." The bill was read for the first time. The rest of the sitting involved debates on various other topics and government business, including a time allocation motion for Bill C-13 and adjournment proceedings. The record indicates that Bill S-3 received Royal Assent, meaning it has become law.
The House of Commons completed the Second Reading of Bill S-3 on November 23, 2011, advancing it to committee consideration, with the bill ultimately receiving Royal Assent on November 29, 2011.
This artifact details the completion of the Second Reading stage for Bill S-3 in the House of Commons on November 23, 2011. Following this stage, the bill was referred to committee for consideration. The bill itself, titled the Federal Law-Civil Law Harmonization Act, No. 3, was aimed at aligning federal law with Quebec's civil law and ensuring that both English and French versions of laws consider both common law and civil law principles. The bill eventually received Royal Assent on November 29, 2011, becoming chapter 21 of the Statutes of Canada, 2011.
The House of Commons completed the second reading of Bill S-3, the Federal Law–Civil Law Harmonization Act, No. 3, and passed it through all subsequent stages in a single sitting on November 23, 2011.
On November 23, 2011, the House of Commons debated Bill S-3, the Federal Law–Civil Law Harmonization Act, No. 3. The debate concluded with the bill being read a second time, considered in a committee of the whole, reported, concurred in, and read a third time and passed, all within the same sitting. This procedural step indicates the House's agreement to move the bill forward in its legislative process.
The House of Commons completed its committee consideration of Bill S-3 on November 23, 2011.
This artifact describes the 'Consideration in committee' stage for Bill S-3 in the House of Commons, which was completed on November 23, 2011. Following this stage, the bill proceeded to Report Stage and Third Reading on the same day.
The House of Commons advanced Bill S-3 through multiple legislative stages using a procedural motion that deemed the bill read a second time, considered in committee, reported, concurred in, and passed.
On November 23, 2011, during the consideration of Bill S-3, the House of Commons engaged in routine proceedings, including statements by members, oral questions, and the introduction of various bills and petitions. A key procedural event was the government House leader moving a motion that deemed Bill S-3 to have passed second reading, been considered in committee, reported, concurred in, and read a third time and passed. This motion was agreed to by the House, allowing Bill S-3 to advance through these stages without debate or division.
The House of Commons completed the report stage and third reading for Bill S-3 on November 23, 2011, before the bill received royal assent on November 29, 2011.
This artifact records the House of Commons Report stage for Bill S-3, which was completed on November 23, 2011. The bill had previously received royal assent on November 29, 2011, becoming Statutes of Canada 2011, c. 21. The report stage is a point in the legislative process where the House reviews a bill after it has been studied in committee. In this instance, the report stage and third reading were both completed on the same day, with the House agreeing to the bill at third reading. This artifact does not contain the full text of the bill, but rather describes the procedural steps taken in the House of Commons.
On November 23, 2011, the House of Commons processed Bill S-3, deeming it read a second and third time, considered in committee, reported, and passed, as part of a sitting that also included statements, oral questions, and routine proceedings.
This record details a sitting of the House of Commons on November 23, 2011. The primary procedural event concerning Bill S-3 was its progression through the House: it was deemed to have been read a second time, considered in committee of the whole, reported, concurred in at the report stage, and finally, deemed read a third time and passed. This all occurred through a single motion, indicating a streamlined procedural path for the bill on this particular day. The rest of the sitting involved various statements by members, oral questions on a range of topics including justice, firearms registry, employment, and national defence, as well as routine proceedings such as tabling reports and introducing other bills. There were also points of order raised by members and a disturbance in the gallery. The primary focus related to Bill S-3 was its successful passage through its final stages in the House of Commons on this date.
Bill S-3 successfully completed its third reading in the House of Commons on November 23, 2011.
This record shows the completion of the third reading stage for Bill S-3 in the House of Commons on November 23, 2011. This stage involves a final debate and vote on the bill before it moves to the next step in the legislative process. According to the provided information, this stage was 'Agreed to', meaning it was successfully passed.
On November 23, 2011, the House of Commons debated various issues during oral questions, passed Bill S-3, and discussed other matters including the Canadian Wheat Board, water preservation, and departmental cuts.
This document is a record of a sitting of the House of Commons on November 23, 2011. It details the proceedings of the day, including statements by members on various topics, oral question periods where members questioned ministers on government actions and policies, and the debate and passage of Bill S-3, the Federal Law–Civil Law Harmonization Act, No. 3. It also lists routine proceedings such as the tabling of reports and introduction of new bills, and concludes with private members' business and adjournment proceedings.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Debates of the Senate yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
Debate and sitting links point to official parliamentary sources when LEGISinfo publishes them. Any plain-language discussion summaries should be generated from those official texts and reviewed before public display.
Vote Summary
This bill does not have a published recorded division in the current official sources, so representative-by-representative vote counts are not shown.
No published representative vote breakdown
The current official sources do not publish a recorded division breakdown for this bill, so there is no representative-by-representative table to show.
Official sources
Status, sponsor, votes, and timeline on this page are drawn from these official legislative sources and public records. Each summary above is attributed to its own source.
How this data is sourced