Regulations

What are Regulations?

Regulations are a form of law, sometimes referred to as subordinate legislation, which define the application and enforcement of legislation. Regulations are made under the authority of an Act, called an Enabling Act. Regulations are enacted by the body to whom the authority to make regulations has been delegated in the Enabling Act, such as the Governor in Council or a minister.

Before regulations are made by Cabinet (the Governor General in Council) and come into force, they must go through the following stages:

1. Draft regulations are submitted to the Department of Justice Canada for legal examination;
2. A Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement (RIAS) is prepared by the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada and approved by the Treasury Board Secretariat;
3. The proposed regulations and RIAS are approved by the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development;
4. The proposed regulations are considered by the Treasury Board Cabinet Committee (composed of ministers) for approval of a 30-day public consultation period;
5. The proposed regulations and RIAS are published in Part I of the Canada Gazette for a minimum of 30 days for public consultation;
6. Following public consultation, proposed regulations are re-examined and approved by the Department of Justice Canada;
7. The final regulations and RIAS are approved by the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development (the Minister then formally recommends to the Governor General in Council that the regulations come into force);
8. The regulations are considered by the Treasury Board Cabinet Committee (composed of ministers) for final approval and registration for their coming into force; and
9. The regulations and RIAS are published in Part II of the Canada Gazette within 23 days of their registration.

What Information is Available?

Find out more about the regulations that affect Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada.

• Regulations Currently in Force
• Forward Regulatory Plan

For more information

• Government-Wide Forward Regulatory Plans  
• The Cabinet Directive on Regulatory Management  
• The Red Tape Reduction Action Plan  
• The Canada-United States Regulatory Cooperation Council  

To learn about upcoming or ongoing consultations on proposed federal regulations, visit the Canada Gazette   and Consulting With Canadians   websites.