Act
Also called a statute, or an Act of the Legislature. When a bill passes third reading in the Legislative Assembly, and receives Assent, it's thereby enacted and becomes an act, or law.
Amendment
A modification made to the text of a bill, act or regulation by adding, removing or substituting text.
Annual statutes
After the end of each calendar year, the King's Printer publishes the official paper version of all acts that were enacted during the year. You can view these acts under Historical legislation Annual Acts.
The acts that received Assent in 2006 for example, are referred to as the Statutes of Yukon 2006 (abbreviated as S.Y. 2006). Each statute has a title and a chapter number. The chapter numbers are assigned after the acts receive Assent in a given year. For example, the Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act is chapter 7 of the Statutes of Yukon 2006 and may be cited as S.Y. 2006, c. 7.
Assent
After a bill has passed third reading in the Yukon Legislative Assembly, the Commissioner assents to the bill by signing it. The bill is thereby enacted and becomes an act, or law. Unless an act contains a stated effective date or a provision requiring that it be brought into force by Order-in-Council, it comes into force on the day Assent is given.
Bill
A proposed law that is introduced in the Legislative Assembly for review and debate. A bill becomes an act, or law, when it passes third reading and receives Assent.
Bill stages
A bill must pass through the following stages before it becomes law: first reading, second reading, committee, report, third reading, Assent.
Cabinet
The group of individuals who have been appointed Ministers (heads of government departments). Also called the Executive Council.
Chapter numbers
After a bill receives Assent, it is assigned a chapter number. The act is then cited by its year of passage and chapter number. For example, the Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act is chapter 7 of the Statutes of Yukon 2006 and may be cited as S.Y. 2006, c. 7.
Citation
The numerical reference for a piece of legislation. For example, the citation for the Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act is S.Y. 2006, c.7, which refers to chapter 7 of the Statutes of Yukon 2006.
Citations for regulations look different from those for acts. For example, the citation for the Coal Regulation is O.I.C. 2003/54; O.I.C. means Order-in-Council which is the Order of the Commissioner in Executive Council who makes the regulation. The number is assigned to the Order-in-Council when the regulation is deposited with the Registrar of Regulations. Therefore the Coal Regulation was the 54th Order-in-Council deposited with the Registrar in 2003.
Coming into force
The time when an act or regulation takes effect and becomes the law. Acts come into force upon Assent unless the act specifies otherwise usually in a commencement section. Different provisions of the act may come into force on different dates. The commencement section details how the act or different provisions of the act are to come into force either on a specified date, under specified circumstances or by Order-in-Council. A regulation comes into force on the day it's deposited with the Registrar of Regulations, unless there's another date specified in the regulation.
Commencement section
Sometimes an act has a commencement or coming into force section (usually the last section in the act or near the end of the act) which details how and when the act or different provisions of the act come into force. If there's no commencement or coming into force section, the act comes into force on the date of Assent.
Commissioner
The person appointed by the Governor in Council under the Yukon Act to carry out the duties of the Commissioner under that Act. The Commissioner’s approval, or Assent, is needed for a bill to become law.
Commissioner in Executive Council
The Commissioner acting by and with the advice and consent of the Executive Council.
Commissioner’s Order or C.O.
Prior to October 1979, orders under acts were made by the Commissioner. These are referred to as Commissioner’s Orders. Since that time, most orders under acts are made by the Commissioner in Executive Council or a Minister.
Committee
If a bill passes second reading it moves to the committee stage (committee of the whole) where it's debated provision by provision. At this stage, amendments to a bill may be proposed.
Committee of the Whole
A committee, composed of all MLAs other than the Speaker, which debates a bill provision by provision.
Consolidation
A consolidated act or regulation is 1 in which any amendments have been blended into the original text of the act or regulation.
Dissolution
An action by the Commissioner, on the advice of the Premier, which ends a Legislative Assembly. Dissolution can also be automatic: the Yukon Act says that no Legislative Assembly can continue for more than 5 years after a general election. After dissolution, that particular Legislative Assembly no longer exists and a new one must be created through a general election.
Enact
A term used to describe the act of making a law.
Executive Council
See Cabinet.
First Reading
The introduction of a bill to the Legislative Assembly is called First Reading. The MLA sponsoring the bill introduces the proposed law and explains its purpose. The bill is not debated at this time but MLAs vote on whether to accept it for further debate. A second or third reading will usually follow.
Governor in Council
The Governor General of Canada is the King's representative for Canada. The Governor in Council is the Governor General acting by and with the advice and consent of the federal Cabinet.
Legislation
Acts and regulations. (In some contexts the term “legislation” also includes orders and other instruments that an act may empower the government to issue.)
Legislative Assembly
All the elected members of the territorial legislative assembly (MLAs) as a group, including the government and all opposition MLAs. While it's usual to speak of the Legislative Assembly as though it had a continuing existence, strictly speaking there are a series of Legislative Assemblies, each of which is created after a general election and ceases to exist on dissolution. This is why formal documents refer to, for example, the 32nd Legislative Assembly.
Legislature
Formally, the Commissioner acting by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly. The term is also commonly used to refer to the chamber in the main Government of Yukon Administration Building in Whitehorse where debates take place, and to the part of the building that includes that chamber as well as the offices of staff and MLAs.
MLA
A Member of the Legislative Assembly. Each MLA is elected by the voters of a particular electoral district. (An electoral district is also known as a constituency or a riding.)
Minister
An individual who's been appointed as a member of the Cabinet and who's responsible for 1 or more government departments.
Ministerial Order or M.O.
An Order of a Minister made under an act. For example, an order enacting regulations.
Order-in-Council or O.I.C.
An order of the Commissioner in Executive Council made under an act. For example, an order enacting regulations.
Premier
The head of the Executive Council. The Premier has many special functions within the government. The leader of the political party that has more MLAs than any other party is traditionally made Premier.
Prorogation
An action by the Commissioner, on the advice of the Premier, which ends a session of the Legislative Assembly, abolishing all pending business and halting all committee work. Although the Legislative Assembly is prorogued, it still exists and MLAs retain all of their rights and privileges. See Dissolution.
Registrar of Regulations
The member of the Government of Yukon public service appointed under the Regulations Act as the Registrar with the responsibility for the recording, numbering, indexing and publication of all regulations filed with the Registrar.
Regulation
Legislation that is subordinate to, and authorized by, an act of the Legislature. An act typically provides an overall policy framework and authorizes the making of regulations to provide the details to give effect to the policy. An act may authorize the Commissioner in Executive Council, a Minister or another authorized body to make regulations.
Repealed
When laws are repealed, they are no longer in force. Statutes and regulations can be repealed; repealed and replaced by another statute or regulation with a different title; or renamed. They can also have built-in expiry provisions, or be enacted for a specific period, after which they're considered spent without the need for repeal. If the act under which a regulation is authorized is no longer in force the regulation expires, unless a replacement act with similar authority takes its place.
Revised Statutes of the Yukon 2002
Periodically, the public statutes are revised, primarily to consolidate amendments (or blend them into the original text of an act). As part of a revision numbering may be simplified, the content may be reorganized and the language updated. The most recent revision was published in 2002 and is referred to as the Revised Statutes of the Yukon 2002. This consolidation included acts that were in force on December 31, 2002 and all acts in the revision are deemed to have come into force on January 1, 2003.
R.S.Y.
The abbreviation for the Revised Statutes of the Yukon. The citation R.S.Y. 2002, c. 1 for example indicates that the Statute that has this citation (Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act) was revised and republished as chapter 1 of the 2002 revision.
Second Reading
At second reading members of the Legislative Assembly debate a bill’s general principles and goals. If the bill passes second reading it moves to the committee stage where it's debated provision by provision.
Session
A session is made up of a series of sittings of the Legislative Assembly. A session begins with the Speech from the Throne and ends with prorogation or dissolution.
Sitting
A meeting of the Legislative Assembly. A sitting typically lasts for several weeks. While business is not being conducted (for example, evenings and weekends) the sitting is adjourned. At least 1 sitting of the Legislative Assembly is held each year.
Statute
See Act.
S.Y.
The abbreviation used for Statutes of Yukon. The citation S.Y. 2006 c.7 for example indicates that the Statute that has this citation (Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act) is chapter 7 of the Statutes of Yukon 2006.
Third Reading
Third Reading is the final opportunity for the Legislative Assembly to debate a bill before a final vote is taken on whether to pass it, although the bill is not usually debated at this stage. If it's passed by the Legislative Assembly, it becomes an act, or law, when it receives Assent.
Yukon Act
An Act of the Parliament of Canada that establishes the basic rules, powers and authorities for the operation of the Legislature and the Executive Council in Yukon.
