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Canadian Legal Research: Federal and Ontario Sources in Print

Last Updated: Oct 7, 2024 12:29 PM

Canadian Legal Periodical Indexes

Legal Periodical Indexes

Canadian Legal Literature (Can.Abr.) 1956+ KE 1 I53a (Ref)
Indexes Canadian legal periodicals, books and government publications. Published as part of the Canadian Abridgment (2d). Subject, Author, title and book review indexes. Includes Table of cases and table of statutes. Before 1988, search for Statutes in the subject index under name of jurisdiction, then name of specific act. Quarterly and annual cumulations. Update with Canadian Current Law - Index to Canadian Legal Literature updates.

Index to Canadian Legal Periodical Literature 1961+ KE 8 I53 (Ref)
Indexes Canadian legal and selected other journals, essays from published collections, and case comments and annotations from subject law reporters. Cumulative indexes for 1961-70, 1971-75, 1976-80; annual and quarterly cumulations since then.

Current Law Index (paper) 1980+ K33 C87 (Ref)

Index to Legal Periodicals & Books K9 N319(Ref)
Also via Online

Canadian Federal Resources

Constitution (Federal)

Constitution Act, 1982 Revised Statutes of Canada KE89 1985 Appendix no. 44, (1985)
Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is Part I of the Constitution Act (1982) §§1-34.

Legislation (Federal)

Official Sources 

  • Revised Statutes of Canada (RSC) KE89 1985
    The consolidated acts through 2009 are also officially available via the department of Justice, Canada
    The 1985 edition is the latest print consolidation of public general acts of Canada in force. Laws in force through 12/31/84 are represented in the main volumes; supplements include acts passed later. Update using annual volumes of Statutes of Canada. Library also has earlier editions (1970, 1952, 1927, 1906, and 1886).
  • Statutes of Canada (SC) 1867+ KE87 .A23 
    The annual statutes are also online  via Department of Justice, Canada (2001-present).
    These annual volumes are the official "session laws" of Canada. Part I contains Public General cts; Part II contains Local and private acts. Includes subject index, table of public statutes showing amendments to the Revised Statutes, chronological table of public laws, and alphabetical list of local and private acts. 
  • Canada Gazette - Part III CAN 005 C38 pt.3
    Text of recent statutes are published in chapter order after Royal Assent has been granted. Includes a "table of public statutes in force" and a "table of proclamations". Superseded by next annual volume of Statutes of Canada. 

Unofficial Consolidations (examples)

Citators

  • Canada Statute Citator KE106 .C36 1985 
    Looseleaf service providing statutory changes and cases interpreting statutes. Cites amendments, repeals, re-enactments, and reprints the text of amended sections. Cases decided since publication of last edition of Revised Statutes are summarized under appropriate section. Consult Canada Statute Annotations for summaries of relevant cases decided before latest Revised Statutes edition. 
  • Statutes Judicially Considered (Can.Abr.) KE173 .C254
    Lists references to cases citing federal and provincial statutes. Updated by Canadian Citations and Canadian Current Law.

Regulation (Federal)

Official Sources 

  • Consolidated Regulations of Canada (CRC), KE119 1978 
    The consolidated regulations are online via Department of Justice, Canada.
    Federal Regulations in force are published in alphabetical order by enabling statute, with designated chapter number. Includes table of contents but no index. There is a separate list for regulations not made under Statutory Authority. 
  • Canada Gazette - Part II CAN 005 C38 pt.2 
    Regulations are identified by year and number in two separate biweekly series: S.O.R. for statutory orders and regulations, and S.I. for other Statutory Instruments. "Consolidated Index of Statutory Instruments" is a quarterly index listing under enabling statute all regulations in force at any time during the year, and provides cites to locations in the Consolidated Regulations and Canada Gazette Pt. 2. No subject index.

Cases (Federal)

Official Law Reports

Unofficial Law Reports

Case Finding Tools

  • Canadian Abridgment (2nd edition), CAN 006.15 C242 
    All federal and provincial reported decisions are digested, except civil law cases from Quebec. Over 51 main volumes cover 120 subject titles. Main volumes (green) are updated by a series of permanent supplements; Revised volumes (red) are updated by revised supplements numbered with the letter "R". Key and general index provides topical access to Abridgment. A general index (Index Binder) lists entries organized by title. Table of cases, Words and Phrases, cases judicially considered, and statutes judicially considered also provide access to entries in the Abridgment. Looseleaf volumes and advance sheets supplement the set. SEE CHART "How to Use the Canadian Abridgment".
  • Indexes to Individual Law Reporters (see Cases Section above)

 

Halsbury's Laws of England, 3rd ed. KD310 .H34 
A Canadian Converter volume was issued for every five or so volumes of this edition, providing annotations with Canadian case and statute references listed by title and paragraph numbers from the main volumes. The 4th edition of Halsbury's does not have Canadian Converter volumes. Use the cumulative supplement "pink pages" to update the Canadian Converter.

 

Ontario Resources

Legislation (Ontario)

Official Sources

Citators

  • Ontario Statute Citator KEO72 .O58 1990
    Based on RSO 1990. Reproduces full text of all statutory amendments when brought into force. Contains an alphabetical list of Acts in RSO 1990 with list of amendments, a Weekly Bulletin Service (tracks progress of bills), Annotations of cases interpreting statutes, alphabetical table of cases, table of proclamations affecting statues, and a table of Ministries.

Regulations (Ontario)

Revised Regulations of Ontario (RRO) KEO87 .O58 1990
A 9-volume revision and consolidation of regulations.

Ontario Gazette KEO87 .O62
Weekly compilation of new Ontario acts and regulations. Regulations are listed under name of statutory authority. Annual volumes with cumulative tables are issued. Check semi-annual index of Ontario Gazette, and index in any issues more recent than that. But first, be sure to check "Table of Regulations" in the most recent annual volume of the Statutes of Ontario.

Cases (Ontario)

Ontario Reports, 2nd series (OR) KEO117.4 .O58

Textbooks & Treatises (Ontario)

Use Libraries' Catalog - Keyword: canada.su. and environment? and law?; Subject: free trade--canada

Encyclopedias (Ontario)

Canadian Encyclopedic Digest, Ontario, 3rd ed. (CED) KEO142 .C36
Covers Ontario provincial and Canadian federal laws. Looseleaf encyclopedia with brief overview of 150 subject areas, with references to cases and statutes. Yellowpaged supplements are at the beginning of each title. Use the Research Guide and Key volume as a finding aid. It includes a "contents key" (consolidation of table of contents of all volumes); a "statutes key" (consolidation of all statutes and regulations referred to in the C.E.D.); a "titles key" (list of subject titles); and a "key-words index" (a key-word/subject index) all of which give references to specific parts of CED. The library also has earlier editions.

Citation Guides - Canada