Transcription of the Proclamation of the Constitution Act, 1982
This transcription is taken (mostly) from the Canada Gazette, Part 11. Vol. 116. No. 9, [411 KB] dated December 3, 1982.
ELIZABETH THE SECOND, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom, Canada and Her other Realms and Territories QUEEN, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.
To All to Whom these Presents shall come or whom the same may in anyway concern,
Greeting:
(signature) Elizabeth R
(signature) Jean Chrétien
Attorney General of Canada
A Proclamation
Whereas in the past certain amendments to the Constitution of Canada have been made by the Parliament of the United Kingdom at the request and with the consent of Canada;
And Whereas it is in accord with the status of Canada as an independent state that Canadians be able to amend their Constitution in Canada in all respects;
And Whereas it is desirable to provide in the Constitution of Canada for the recognition of certain fundamental rights and freedoms and to make other amendments to the Constitution;
And Whereas the Parliament of the United Kingdom has, at the request and with the consent of Canada, enacted the Canada Act, which provides for the patriation and amendment of the Constitution of Canada;
And Whereas section 58 of the Constitution Act, 1982, set out in Schedule B to the Canada Act, provides that the Constitution Act, 1982 shall, subject to section 59 thereof, come into force on a day to be fixed by proclamation issued under the Great Seal of Canada.
Now Know You that We, by and with the advice Our Privy Council for Canada, do by this Our Proclamation, declare that the Constitution Act, 1982 shall, subject to section 59 thereof, come into force on the seventeenth day of April in the Year of Our Lord One Thousand Nine Hundred and Eighty-two.
Of All Which Our Loving Subjects and all other whom these Presents may concern are hereby required to take notice and to govern themselves accordingly.
In Testimony Whereof We have caused these Our Letters to be made Patent and the Great Seal of Canada to be hereunto affixed.
At Our City of Ottawa, this seventeenth day of April in the Year of Our Lord One Thousand Nine Hundred and Eighty-two and in the Thirty-first Year of Our Reign.
By Her Majesty’s Command
(signature) André Ouellet
Registrar General of Canada
(signature) Pierre Trudeau
Prime Minister of Canada
GOD SAVE THE QUEEN