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Legal Research Manual

This edition of Legal Research Manual builds on many previous editions. While the manual is designed principally for use with the first year legal research classes, upper year law students will also find it a useful reference.

Sources for Regulations

Federal Regulations (in print)

All titles below are available in the library stacks:

  • Consolidated Regulations of Canada (CRC) - consolidated Dec. 31, 1977
  • Canada Gazette Part II - Annual Volumes & Individual Issues
  • Consolidated Index of Statutory Instruments
  • Canada Regulations Index

Federal Regulations (online)

  • Lexis Advance Quicklaw Plus - contains the full text of the Consolidated Regulations of Canada 1978, as updated by LexisNexis Canada since April 2003 with all new regulations, amendments, and repeals according to the most recent twice monthly issue of the Canada Gazette Part II. You can also search the source called Canada Repealed Regulations, which contains repealed, revoked, expired, exonerated, cancelled, ceased or terminated regulations which have been removed from the Canada Regulations database since January 1, 2003.  (Law students can also find these in Lexis Advance Quicklaw)
  • WestlawNext Canada - contains approximately 13,000 of the most frequently consulted regulations in various areas of Canadian law and in all jurisdictions along with comprehensive regulations in the following specialty areas: criminal law, family law, securities, insolvency and intellectual property. (Law students can also find these in Westlaw Edge Canada)
  • Justice Laws - Consolidated Regulations & Consolidated Index of Statutory Instruments.
  • Canada Gazette - Proposed Regulations in Part I, Official Regulations in Part II.

Historical Federal Regulations

  • Prior to 1947 (when the Canada Gazette began publishing Part II), federal statutory orders and regulations having the force of law were published in the "prefix" section of the sessional volumes of the Statutes of Canada (from 1875-1939).
  • During World War II, the Canadian War Orders and Regulations were published between 1940 and 1944; in 1945, the name was changed to Statutory Orders and Regulations.  It ceased publication in 1947.  Canadian War Orders and Regulations can also be found in the Internet Archive.
  • For more information about locating historical regulations, J.E.C. Brierley's Bibliographical Guide to Canadian Legal Materials (McGill University, 1968) is very helpful.

Ontario Regulations (in print) 

All titles below are available in the library stacks:

  • Revised Regulations of Ontario, 1990 (RRO)
  • Ontario Regulations (O Reg) - Reprinted from Ontario Gazette. Annual bound volumes.
  • Ontario Gazette - Back of individual issues contains full text of regulations, but these are no longer printed (see online, below)
  • Table of Regulations - located at the back of the annual statute volumes
  • Ontario Regulations Service (full text of regulations from last few years)

Ontario Regulations (online)

  • Lexis Advance Quicklaw Plus - contains the full text of the Regulations of Ontario, consolidated and updated by LexisNexis Canada with all new regulations, amendments, and repeals according to the most recent weekly issue of the Ontario Gazette. You can also search a source called Ontario Repealed Regulations, which contains regulations revoked since February 2001. (Law students can also find these in Lexis Advance Quicklaw)
  • WestlawNext Canada - contains approximately 13,000 of the most frequently consulted regulations in various areas of Canadian law and in all jurisdictions along with comprehensive regulations in the following specialty areas: criminal law, family law, securities, insolvency and intellectual property. (Law students can also find these in Westlaw Edge Canada)
  • Ontario e-Laws - Contains both current and revoked regulations.
  • Ontario Gazette - contains all regulations made under Ontario statutes.