Interjurisdictional immunity

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In Canadian Constitutional law, interjurisdictional immunity is the legal doctrine that prevents a law from being applied to matters outside of the constitutional jurisdiction of the enacting head of power. For example, where a provincial law is found to intrude into a matter in the jurisdiction of the federal government the law will be interpreted through the “reading down” doctrine to exclude that matter. The immmunity doctrine is invoked when it is found that the legislation “affects a vital or essential part” of a matter outside the government’s jurisdiction.

Though there remains some debate, it has generally been accepted that the doctrine applies to both the federal and provincial governments equally. Nevertheless, virtually all of the case law concerns situations where provincial laws encroach on federal matters.


Constitution Act, 1867
Division of powers | Peace, order and good government | Criminal law power | Trade and Commerce clause | Works and Undertakings | Property and civil rights | Disallowance and reservation

Canada Act 1982
Constitution Act, 1982
Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms | Aboriginal Rights clause | Amending formula

List of Canadian constitutional documents

History of the Constitution
Royal Proclamation of 1763 | Quebec Act | Constitutional Act of 1791 | Act of Union 1840 | British North America Acts | Statute of Westminster 1931
Constitutional debate
Fulton-Favreau formula | Victoria Charter | Meech Lake Accord | Charlottetown Accord | Calgary Declaration | Other unsuccessful amendments
Interpretation of the Constitution
Pith and substance | Double aspect | Paramountcy | Living tree | Implied Bill of Rights | Dialogue principle | Interjurisdictional immunity