If you are searching for a federal statute by its name, turn to the alphabetical Table of Public Statutes and Responsible Ministers [LAW LIBRARY reference room (level 2): KE106.5 .T33 (LC)]. Take note of the exact title and chapter number; usually it will be a reference to the Revised Statutes of Canada, 1985 [LAW LIBRARY reference room (level 2) & LAW LIBRARY level 3: KE89 1985 (LC)] where the principal act is located. If the act that you are researching was passed after the 1985 revision, write down the year and chapter number of the sessional or annual volume in which the act is published [LAW LIBRARY reference room (level 2) & LAW LIBRARY level 3: KE89 (LC)].
For any amendments to the original statute, check the Table of Public Statutes and Responsible Ministers [LAW LIBRARY reference room (level 2): KE106.5 .T33 (LC)]. Take note of the years and chapter numbers of any relevant sessional or annual volumes in which the amending acts are published.
To find acts more current than those published in the latest bound annual volume, see the paper issues of the Canada Gazette Part III [LAW LIBRARY reference room (level 2): KE91 (LC] or online at: http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p3/index-eng.html).
The Canada Statute Citator [LAW LIBRARY reference room (level 2): KE106 .C36 (LC)] is another useful resource. This commercial loose-leaf service reprints the text of all amendments, arranged under the section numbers of the original Act. Remember to check the official text in the appropriate sessional or annual volume of the statutes, if accuracy is important to the matter you are researching.
When searching for a federal statute by subject, the Index for Revised Statutes of Canada 1985 [LAW LIBRARY reference room (level 2) & LAW LIBRARY level 3: KE89 1985 (LC)] may be a useful starting point. Updated to December 12, 1988, the Index contains both general and specific subject headings.
The Canadian Encyclopedic Digest (Western) [LAW LIBRARY reference room (level 2): KE156.2 .C36 (LC)] is another useful resource. This loose-leaf multi-volume set provides an overview of the law on a full range of legal topics. At the front of each topic is a Table of Statutes highlighting relevant federal and provincial statutes from the four western provinces.
Many Canadian legal texts also provide clues to the existence of relevant statutes in their Tables of Statutes published at the front of the volumes, or in footnotes linked to commentary within the text. Finally, subject-specific loose-leaf services such as the Canada Corporations Law Reporter [LAW LIBRARY reference room (level 2): KE1387.5 .C65 (LC)] and the Canadian Family Law Guide [LAW LIBRARY reference room (level 2): KE537.5 .C36 (LC)] also include the text of current federal and provincial statutes.
