Succession to the Throne Act, 2013
The Succession to the Throne Act, 2013 (French: Loi de 2013 sur la succession au trône), which has the long title An Act to Assent to Alterations in the Law Touching the Succession to the Throne (Bill C-53), was passed by the Parliament of Canada to give assent to the Succession to the Crown Bill, which was intended to change the line of succession to the British throne and was passed with amendments by the UK Parliament on 25 April 2013. Bill C-53 was presented and received its first reading in the House of Commons on 31 January 2013 and received royal assent on 27 March of the same year. The act was brought into force by the Governor General-in-Council on 26 March 2015.
| Succession to the Throne Act, 2013 | |
|---|---|
| Parliament of Canada | |
| |
| Citation | S.C. 2013, c. 6 |
| Enacted by | Parliament of Canada |
| Royal assent | 27 March 2013 |
| Commenced | 26 March 2015 |
| Legislative history | |
| Bill title | C-53 |
| Introduced by | Rob Nicholson, Minister of Justice |
| Introduced | 31 January 2013 |
| First reading | Commons: 31 January 2013; Senate: 5 February 2013 |
| Second reading | Commons: 4 February 2013; Senate: 7 March 2013 |
| Third reading | Commons: 4 February 2013; Senate: 26 March 2013 |
| Committee report | Presented: 26 March 2013 |
| Status: In force | |
Some academics disagreed over the act's constitutionality and effectiveness on altering the line of succession to the Canadian throne. A court motion filed in Ontario for the law to be found unconstitutional was dismissed. Another court motion was filed in the Superior Court of Quebec. In 2016, the Superior Court dismissed the application, upholding the act. The Quebec Court of Appeal upheld that ruling in 2019. In 2020, the Supreme Court of Canada dismissed an application for leave to appeal, leaving the Court of Appeal decision standing.