Research Guides: Public and Constitutional Law: Section 33

Section 33

33. (1) Parliament or the legislature of a province may expressly declare in an Act of Parliament or of the legislature, as the case may be, that the Act or a provision thereof shall operate notwithstanding a provision included in section 2 or sections 7 to 15 of this Charter.

(2) An Act or a provision of an Act in respect of which a declaration made under this section is in effect shall have such operation as it would have but for the provision of this Charter referred to in the declaration.

(3) A declaration made under subsection (1) shall cease to have effect five years after it comes into force or on such earlier date as may be specified in the declaration.

(4) Parliament or the legislature of a province may re-enact a declaration made under subsection (1).

(5) Subsection (3) applies in respect of a re-enactment made under subsection (4).

Section 33 Books

The Notwithstanding Clause and the Canadian Charter by Peter L. Biro (Editor)
Call Number: ebook

Publication Date: 2024

Section 33 - what is commonly referred to as the notwithstanding clause (NWC) - was written into the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to allow Parliament and the provinces to provisionally override certain Charter rights. The Notwithstanding Clause and the Canadian Charter examines the NWC from all angles and perspectives, considering who should have the last word on matters of rights and justice - the legislatures or the unelected judiciary - and what balance liberal democracy requires.
The Notwithstanding Clause in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms by Caitlin Salvino
Call Number: ebook

Publication Date: 2025

This book provides a comprehensive exploration of the clause's history, design, political uses, and the judicial and academic responses. It provides the foundational context of section 33, offering readers an in-depth understanding of this uniquely Canadian provision, which has sparked controversy for over four decades.