Bill C-53 · 41th Parliament · Stephen Harper
Succession to the Throne Act, 2013
An Act to assent to alterations in the law touching the Succession to the Throne
Government bill. Became law.
- IntroducedJan. 31, 2013
- Debated in principleFeb. 4, 2013
- Studied by a committeeDone
- Passed its first chamberFeb. 4, 2013
- Passed the second chamberMarch 25, 2013
- Became lawMarch 26, 2013
Leading supporters
Ranked by the part each played: who is responsible for the bill, who carried it, and who spoke for it most.
- Stephen HarperPrime Minister
- Marjory LeBreton (Leader of the Government)Senate · Sponsor in the Senate
- Marjory LeBretonSenate · SenatorMoves third reading and affirms the bill implements agreed Commonwealth changes with safeguards to prevent dividing the Crown.
- Joan FraserSenate · SenatorStates she cannot overstate how strongly she supports the objects of the bill to end male preference and the ban on marrying Roman Catholics.
- Serge JoyalSenate · SenatorStates he has no hesitation in supporting the bill as a full expression of Canadian sovereignty and proper assent under the Statute of Westminster.
- Rob NicholsonHe reports that consent has been given for Parliament to consider the bill.
Who carries this bill
Arrows run from the person responsible to those who answer to them on this bill. The critic leads the Senate’s scrutiny and answers to no one on it.
What it set out to do
On 31 January 2013, the Minister of Justice introduced Bill C-53, An Act to assent to alterations in the law touching the Succession to the Throne (Succession to the Throne Act, 2013), in the House of Commons and it was given first reading. At the 2011 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), the 16 Realms for which Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is the Head of State agreed to change the rules governing the line of succession to the Throne. Pursuant to this agreement, the government of the United Kingdom introduced legislation in December 2012 that will: • end the practice of placing male heirs before their elder sisters in the line of succession; and • remove legal provisions that render heirs who marry Roman Catholics ineligible to succeed to the Throne. Bill C-53 provides for the assent by Parliament to alterations in the law touching the Succession to the Throne agreed to on 28 October 2011 by the governments of Her Majesty’s Realms.
Summary by the Library of Parliament.
Where members stand
How it changed on the way
51% of the text as introduced was changed or removed by the time it became law (490 words introduced, 471 passed).
minor changeintent kept
The bill passed with only formatting and publication updates. Core assent provisions and preamble stayed identical.
- Session years extended to reflect later passage.
Before: “60-61 Elizabeth II, 2011-2012-2013”
After: “60-61-62 Elizabeth II, 2011-2012-2013”
- Added chapter number and royal assent date to title page.
After: “STATUTES OF CANADA 2013 CHAPTER 6 An Act to assent to alterations in the law touching the Succession to the Throne ASSENTED TO 27th MARCH, 2013”
How precisely it is written
mostly preciseChallenging the law: HardDisputing a charge: Hard
The Act uses a short title and a single operative clause that directly assents to a named UK bill, leaving little room for argument about what Parliament has done. Its only discretionary element is the standard coming-into-force order, which does not affect the substance of the assent itself.
Open to argument
“The alteration in the law touching the Succession to the Throne set out in the bill laid before the Parliament of the United Kingdom”
The text incorporates an external document by description rather than reproducing its text, requiring readers to consult another jurisdiction's bill to know the exact rules being assented to.
Clear-cut
“This Act may be cited as the Succession to the Throne Act, 2013.”
A clear, numbered short title removes any doubt about the statute's identity.“This Act comes into force on a day to be fixed by order of the Governor in Council.”
The commencement mechanism is stated in objective, mechanical terms with no substantive criteria attached.
Discretion. The Governor in Council may choose any day for commencement, but the power is limited to timing and does not allow alteration of the assent itself.
Challenging the law itself. The Act merely records parliamentary assent to a constitutional change and engages no individual rights under the Charter, making a vagueness or overbreadth challenge unavailable.
Disputing a charge under it. The statute creates no prohibitions or duties for individuals, so there is no conduct that could be disputed as a breach.
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?
no evaluation found
Who lobbied on it
No lobbying registration naming this bill is loaded.
Stages and dates from LEGISinfo.