Constitution Act, 1982

The Constitution Act, 1982 is a part of the Constitution of Canada, introduced as part of Canada's process of patriating its constitution. It amended the British North America Act, 1867, renaming it the Constitution Act, 1867, and in the same act enacted the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, guaranteed rights of the Aboriginal peoples of Canada, entrenched provincial jurisdiction over natural resources, provided for future constitutional conferences, and set out procedures for amending the constitution in future. Patriation was necessary because, after the Statute of Westminster 1931, Canada had left the British Parliament with the power to amend its constitution until Canadian governments could agree on an all-Canada amending formula; that agreement came in 1981, and the Canada Act 1982, passed by the British Parliament in March 1982, transferred the amending power to Canada. Queen Elizabeth II and Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau signed the Act into force in 1982.