Constitutional Documents

The Constitutional, Legal, and Political History of Newfoundland and Labrador.

This reference collection is being assembled to provide ready access to the important documents which illustrate the evolution of Newfoundland and Labrador as a British colony, self-governing dominion, and province of Canada.

For editorial and administrative notes, please scroll to the bottom of this page.

For the sake of convenience, documents illustrating one particular aspect of the constitutional evolution have been grouped together under the following subcategories. The documents are also available on a Master List, where they are arranged chronologically.

The Constitutions of Newfoundland and Labrador

The base documents of each of the various stages in the the constitutional evolution of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Responsible Government

The evolution of Newfoundland from a British fishing station to a largely independent self-governing Dominion.

Commission of Government

Staggering under the weight of its accumulated debt, Newfoundland gave up self-government in 1934, and until Confederation in 1949 was ruled by an appointed Commission of Government.

Confederation with Canada

The long constitutional courtship which resulted in Newfoundland and Labrador becoming Canada's tenth province in 1949.

Labrador and the Labrador Boundary Dispute

The evolution of the Labrador boundary, and Labrador's place within the province.

Term 17

The history of Term 17 of the 1949 Terms of Union, concerning education rights.

The French and American Shores

The origin, development, and abolition of French and American fishing rights on the coasts of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Of the House of Assembly

The Acts which govern the constitution and powers of the House of Assembly.

The Human Rights Code

Excerpted sections from the Newfoundland and Labrador Human Rights Code, outlining prohibited discriminatory conduct.

Emblems of Provincehood

The Acts which establish the official provincial emblems of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Chronological Master List

The entire collection of historic documents, arranged in chronological order.

Administrative and Editorial Notes

These texts should not be considered authoritative. Some of the older Acts and other documents have been modernized to improve legibility, but have not otherwise been altered. Any typographical or other errors are my own. Refer to the originals for authoritative versions. Most importantly, if you have a legal problem, consult your lawyer.

Any item for which there is no description or hyperlink is on a (growing) to-do list. Bugs and errors are slowly being ironed out. Visit this site for regular updates and additions.

This site is friendly to text browsers, and contains only the graphics necessary to illustrate the provincial emblems.

Last Update: 21-I-2005

Comments, suggestions or corrections are welcome. Click here for email.

This page was formerly hosted by the National Capital Freenet. Become a member!

VISIT MY MAIN WEB SITE!: Labrador Scenic Photo Tour