Bill C-459 · 37th Parliament · Jean Chrétien
Holocaust Memorial Day Act
An Act to establish Holocaust Memorial Day
Private member’s bill. Became law.
- IntroducedOct. 21, 2003
- Debated in principleOct. 21, 2003
- Studied by a committeeDone
- Passed its first chamberOct. 21, 2003
- Passed the second chamberNov. 3, 2003
- Became lawNov. 7, 2003
Where members stand
Votes and debate for this bill have not been read yet.
How it changed on the way
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How precisely it is written
preciseChallenging the law: HardDisputing a charge: Hard
The Act contains only a short title and a single declarative sentence that proclaims one named day each year. All operative language is narrow, uses an external calendar reference, and creates no duties, offences or discretionary powers.
Open to argument
“as determined in each year by the Jewish lunar calendar”
The phrase relies on an external religious calendar without specifying who calculates or publishes the date.
Clear-cut
“This Act may be cited as the Holocaust Memorial Day Act.”
The short title is a defined, objective label with no ambiguity.“Yom ha-Shoah or the Day of the Holocaust, as determined in each year by the Jewish lunar calendar, is proclaimed as "Holocaust Memorial Day — Yom ha-Shoah".”
The operative clause uses a fixed proclamation formula and an external objective reference rather than subjective standards.
Discretion. No power is delegated to any minister, official or regulation; the Act performs its entire function by the proclamation itself.
Challenging the law itself. The statute creates no prohibition or obligation, so a Charter challenge under sections 2(a) or 2(b) would face immediate standing and justiciability barriers.
Disputing a charge under it. The Act imposes no duty on any person, so no accused can be charged with breaching it and therefore no factual dispute over violation can arise.
Read by a language model from the royal assent text; every quoted phrase appears in the bill. A reading of the drafting, not legal advice.
Did it work?
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Who lobbied on it
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Stages and dates from LEGISinfo.