1.2 Finding and updating a federal statute
1.2.1 Public statutes
Consult the Table of Public Statutes and Responsible Ministers. Published three times a year (April 30, August 31 and December 31), this is a reference document which provides useful historical information on the acts comprising the consolidated statutes, including a chronological listing of amendments, repealed acts, years of enactment and responsible ministers.
For each amended statute, the amendments are numbered and given an exact reference. Repealed statutes are also listed.
N.B. The date of the coming into force of amendments and/or new provisions appears at the end of the list of amendments. The exact reference to the Canada Gazette is not given. However, the date and number of the order-in-council is listed.
For the acts that are sanctioned after the last edition of the Table of Public Statutes and Responsible Ministers, consult the latest issue of the Canada Gazette, Part III which includes a blue page at the end listing the Proclamations of Canada and Orders in Council relating to the Coming into Force of Acts.
N.B.: The Table of Public Statutes and Responsible Ministers (1907 to August 31, 2006) is also available online: http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/publaw/index.html
For acts that are sanctioned very recently and that do not appear in the Canada Gazette, Part III:
Consult Canadian Current Law Legislation (FTX RESERVE KE 173 C3233482) under the heading Status of Bills.
OR
Consult the Canada Statute Citator - Weekly Bulletin Service (green pages) which indicates the progress of bills (FTX Statutes SLR4-2).
1.2.2 Private Acts
Consult the Table of Private Acts, Statutes of Canada, 1867 to December 31, 2000, KE 4564 .A38 2001 (SLR4-1)
N.B. Includes a list of all federal private acts with the exception of those that relate to divorces. These are found only in the Index, Local and Private Acts, Dominion of Canada, 1867-1941, KE 4564 .A38 1942.
1.3 Provisions and limitation periods for federal laws
Several laws contain a limitation period within which one can undertake legal recourse.
For laws at the federal level, see: Federal limitation periods (REF KE8386 F4 J6)