> Quoting Mason Gaffney: >> 3. There are "customs" and "traditions", which in Canada, a nation >> with no written constitution, carry much force. >> > > > I can assure you Mason, that Canada has a written constitution > > Rod Hay But not at all in the sense as that in which the USA has a 'written constitution'. The founding document of the Canadian federation is the British North America Act (of the imperial parliament), which among other things explicitly maintains all existing statutes not subsequently repealed or amended by the dominion parliament. The power to amend the BNA Act remained at Westminster until 1982, when the power to amend was granted to the Canadian parliament and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms was added to the accumulation of constitutional legislation (and judicial review by the Privy Council) since 1867. Though this historically stratified welter of imperial and dominion legislation may be said to add up to a 'written constitution', the fact remains that the Canadian supreme court has ruled that it is not exhaustive, and that the 'constitution' contains unwritten, customary doctrines. A. M. C. Waterman