{"id":277,"date":"2018-02-06T18:14:37","date_gmt":"2018-02-07T02:14:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca\/lrw\/?page_id=277"},"modified":"2025-10-03T12:18:39","modified_gmt":"2025-10-03T19:18:39","slug":"federal-legislative-research","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca\/lrw\/federal-legislative-research\/","title":{"rendered":"Federal Legislative Research"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row module_id=”federal” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ text_orientation=”center” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

Federal Legislative Research<\/h1>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_3,1_3,1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_video src=”https:\/\/onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca\/lrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2882\/2025\/10\/Fed-leg-outro-update-2025.mp4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” title_text=”Fed leg outro update 2025″ sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_video][et_pb_toggle title=”The Legislative Research Process” closed_toggle_background_color=”#ffffff” _builder_version=”4.22.1″ title_line_height=”1.1em” body_font_size=”12″ border_width_all=”0px” border_color_all=”#ffffff” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

During the process of legislative research there are a number of things to consider. Here are 5 important steps to keep in mind as you investigate your legal question.<\/p>\n

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  1. Know your point-in-time.\n
      \n
    1. Statutes and regulations change by amendment, so it is important to know the applicable time for which you need the legislation. Often you will want the current version. Other times you’ll want legislation as it read at a particular time.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n
    2. Find the statutes (also called an \u2018act\u2019) and\/or the regulations. This can be in print or online. Often your secondary source research will provide you with the name or names of potentially relevant legislation to your question. Don\u2019t forget to make sure you are looking in the right jurisdiction.<\/li>\n
    3. Determine whether the act or regulation is in force, and if so, which provisions are in force.<\/li>\n
    4. Find relevant amendments to the act or regulation.<\/li>\n
    5. Find judicial consideration\n
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      1. Has the act or regulation been considered by a court?<\/li>\n
      2. Are there cases that interpret the relevant legislative provisions?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        For more legal research help, you can check out our other videos. You can also send us an email at lawref@uvic.ca\u00a0<\/p>\n

        [\/et_pb_toggle][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_video src=”https:\/\/onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca\/lrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2882\/2018\/02\/Sources2.mp4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_video][et_pb_toggle title=”Federal Publications: About Official, Authoritative & Unofficial Sources” closed_toggle_background_color=”#ffffff” _builder_version=”4.22.1″ title_line_height=”1.1em” body_font_size=”12″ border_width_all=”0px” border_color_all=”#ffffff” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

        Official Sources of Canadian Federal law are published by the Queen\u2019s Printer of Canada. Some common official print publications are the Canada Gazette, the Statutes of Canada, and Revised Statutes of Canada. [All available in the uvic law library\u2019s print collection] The Canada Gazette is the government’s official newspaper and can be found online. All consolidated acts and regulations on the Justice Laws website are also considered official (as of June 1, 2009). One way to tell if the document is official is if it\u2019s marked with the seal of the crown. For consolidated acts and regulations on the Justice Laws website, this seal can be found on the title page of PDF versions. [show example] In practice and in school, authoritative, and unofficial sources are nearly always sufficient up to the final stages of work. Although reliable, authoritative and unofficial sources cannot be used as official evidence of the law in the courtroom. Authoritative versions of government publications are commonly found online. The Annual Statutes database on the Justice Laws website is an example of an authoritative source as well as the Debates of the House of Commons (links provided). Unofficial sources are typically online reproductions of legal information through commercial & non-commercial publishers. These sources of primary law can sometimes be faster to find and contain links to supplementary information. Check out our other videos on how to use some of these source! For more legal research help you can email us at lawref@uvic.ca<\/a> or visit us at the Research Help Desk<\/p>\n

        [\/et_pb_toggle][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_video src=”https:\/\/onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca\/lrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2882\/2025\/10\/Fed-enacted-statute-2025.mp4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ vertical_offset_tablet=”0″ horizontal_offset_tablet=”0″ z_index_tablet=”0″ box_shadow_horizontal_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_vertical_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_blur_tablet=”40px” box_shadow_spread_tablet=”0px” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_video][et_pb_toggle title=”How do I Find an Enacted Statute?” closed_toggle_background_color=”#ffffff” _builder_version=”4.22.1″ title_line_height=”1.1em” body_font_size=”12px” vertical_offset_tablet=”0″ horizontal_offset_tablet=”0″ title_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” title_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” title_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” closed_title_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” closed_title_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” closed_title_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” body_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” body_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” body_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” body_link_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” body_link_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” body_link_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” body_ul_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” body_ul_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” body_ul_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” body_ol_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” body_ol_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” body_ol_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” body_quote_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” body_quote_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” body_quote_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” border_width_all=”0px” border_color_all=”#ffffff” box_shadow_horizontal_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_vertical_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_blur_tablet=”40px” box_shadow_spread_tablet=”0px” text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

        Based on our research question, we found that the following act was mentioned and may be relevant to our research: The Copyright Modernization Act (S.C. 2012, c. 20). We\u2019re going to go find it in Justice Laws. \u00a0the Justice Laws home page, which can be found by typing in this URL [http:\/\/laws-lois.justice.gc.ca\/eng\/], doing a google search for Justice Laws or through the library\u2019s refined databases list. Under Laws click on Annual Statutes. the Justice Laws website includes Annual Statutes enacted after 2001. We can select the relevant year based on our citation. [click on 2012] I can see all of the statutes that received royal assent that year. From here we scroll down to find the act. If you\u2019re looking for a specific section you can search by keyword or click on the appropriate link in the table of contents. How about annual statutes enacted before 2001? Published versions of Annual Statutes from 1998 to present can be found in the Canada Gazette Part III. This is available online [http:\/\/www.gazette.gc.ca] and we can get there through the law library\u2019s refined databases list. The Canada Gazette website shows the latest publications and also links to archived versions. Looking to go even further back in time? Library and Archives Canada has digitized the Canada Gazette from 1841 to 1997. From the Canada Gazette homepage Click the \u00a0\u201cCanada Gazette 1841-1997\u201d link.\u00a0 \u00a0 Navigate down to \u201cseries\/title\u201d and you will see that Library and Archives Canada has digitized the following collections.\u00a0 The most recent acts that have have not yet been published in the Canada Gazette can be found on the Legisinfo site [www.parl.ca\/LegisInfo].\u00a0 For more legal research help, check out our other videos.\u00a0 You can also send us an email at lawref@uvic.ca.<\/p>\n

         <\/p>\n

        [\/et_pb_toggle][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_3,1_3,1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_video src=”https:\/\/onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca\/lrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2882\/2025\/10\/Fed-consol-statute-2025.mp4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” title_text=”Fed consol statute 2025″ sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_video][et_pb_toggle title=”How do I Find Consolidated Acts?” closed_toggle_background_color=”#ffffff” _builder_version=”4.16″ title_line_height=”1.1em” body_font_size=”12″ border_width_all=”0px” border_color_all=”#ffffff” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

        A consolidated act is the current version of an act that incorporates all amendments to the act. As of June 1 2009, all of the consolidated acts on the Justice Laws website are considered \u201cofficial\u201d! [Check out our video on federal publications to learn more about official, authoritative, and unofficial source] CanLii, an unofficial source, is also a useful option for researching legislation and legislative interpretation, but in this video we are going to be using Justice Laws. On the Justice Laws website, under Law, click on Consolidated Acts. You can find the act alphabetically or searching by title name. based on our legal research question, we are interested in looking \u00a0for the Copyright Act. The regulations prescribed under the authority of the act are listed and linked at the bottom [See our other videos on regulations for more info] We can choose to look at the HTML version, XML or PDF. The PDF version is marked by the seal of the crown, and should be used if required for use in the courtroom. [open PDF]. Also on the title page, we can find the currency statement. The copyright act is current to October 25, 2017 and was last amended on June 19, 2017. \u00a0This information is important in knowing if you have to do further updating. [How do I update? Check out our video on how to update update an act – linked at the end of this video.<\/p>\n

        [\/et_pb_toggle][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_video src=”https:\/\/onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca\/lrw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2882\/2013\/03\/StatuteAmendments-1.mp4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_video][et_pb_toggle title=”How do I Find Statute Amendments?” closed_toggle_background_color=”#ffffff” _builder_version=”4.16″ title_line_height=”1.1em” body_font_size=”12″ border_width_all=”0px” border_color_all=”#ffffff” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

        \nThis video will demonstrate two ways of finding statute amendments using the Justice Laws website. For the purposes of our legal research question, we are interested in finding section 28.1 of the Copyright Act. The consolidated acts on the Justice Laws website are generally updated every two weeks and considered \u2018official\u2019. 1) Method 1: \u00a0Using a consolidated act: from the Justice Laws homepage [http:\/\/laws.justice.gc.ca\/], click in Consolidated Acts. Search for the Copyright Act. \u00a0For the purposes of our research we are interested in looking at section 28.1. In the footer of that section we can see the amendment trail.<\/p>\n