Canadian order of precedence

Canadian order of precedence
The Canadian order of precedence is a nominal and symbolic hierarchy of important positions within the governing institutions of Canada. It has no legal standing, but is used to dictate ceremonial protocol.
The Department of Canadian Heritage issues a Table of Precedence for Canada, which does not include members of the royal family, save for the sovereign, mentioned in a note as preceding the governor general. The Department of National Defence issues near-identical guidelines, with the primary difference being the inclusion of members of the Canadian Royal Family, specifying that they take precedence after the governor-general. The provinces and territories of Canada also have their own orders of precedence for events of a provincial or territorial nature. They serve the same purpose and are structured similarly, but place an emphasis on provincial or territorial offices.
All units of the Canadian Armed Forces also have an order of precedence that determines seniority; it often decides such matters as which unit forms up to the right (senior side) of other units on a ceremonial parade, or the order in which marches or calls are played at a mess dinner.
King of Canada (King Charles III)
Governor General of Canada (Mary Simon)
Prime Minister of Canada
Chief Justice of Canada
Former Governors General of Canada in order of their departure from office:
Ed Schreyer (1979–1984)
Adrienne Clarkson (1999–2005)
Michaëlle Jean (2005–2010)
David Johnston (2010–2017)
Julie Payette (2017–2021)
Widows of Governors General of Canada (as former viceregal consort of Canada):
Diana Fowler LeBlanc, widow of Roméo LeBlanc
Former Prime Ministers of Canada in order of their first assumption of office:
Joe Clark (1979–1980)
Brian Mulroney (1984–1993)
Kim Campbell (1993)
Jean Chrétien (1993–2003)
Paul Martin (2003–2006)
Stephen Harper (2006–2015)
Former Chief Justices of Canada, in order of their appointment
Beverly McLachlin (2000–2017)
Speaker of the Senate of Canada
Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada
Representatives to Canada of foreign governments
Ambassadors and High Commissioners come first, in order of the presentation of their credentials; then come Ministers Plenipotentiary, and then Chargés d'affaires.
Members of the Canadian Ministry
Members of the Cabinet:
The Table of Precedence for Canada prescribes that order of precedence within this group be determined in order of appointment to the King's Privy Council for Canada with ties broken by order of election to the House or appointment to the Senate. However, the current Canadian Ministry opted to use an alternative order that is determined by the Prime Minister.
Ministers of State
In order of appointment to the King's Privy Council for Canada with ties broken by order of election to the House or appointment to the Senate.
Leader of His Majesty's Loyal Opposition (Pierre Poilievre)
Lieutenant Governors of the provinces, in the order their province joined Confederation and by population at joining to break ties
Lieutenant Governor of Ontario
Lieutenant Governor of Quebec
Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia
Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick
Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba
Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia
Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island
Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan
Lieutenant Governor of Alberta
Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador
All other Members of the King's Privy Council for Canada in order with the date of their appointment to the Privy Council, but with precedence given to those who bear the title "Right Honourable" in accordance with the date of receiving the honorary title.
List of current members of the King's Privy Council for Canada
Premiers of the provinces, in the order their province joined confederation and by population at joining to break ties
Premier of Ontario
Premier of Quebec
Premier of Nova Scotia
Premier of New Brunswick
Premier of Manitoba
Premier of British Columbia
Premier of Prince Edward Island
Premier of Saskatchewan
Premier of Alberta
Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador
Commissioners of the Territories
Commissioner of the Northwest Territories
Commissioner of Yukon
Commissioner of Nunavut
Premiers of the Territories
Premier of the Northwest Territories
Premier of Yukon
Premier of Nunavut
Religious leaders, equally, by seniority
Limited to "senior Canadian representatives of faith communities having a significant presence in a relevant jurisdiction".
Puisne Judges of the Supreme Court
Superior court justices
Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Canada
Associate Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Canada
Chief Justices of the highest court of each province and territory in order of date of appointment as chief justice
Chief Justice of Ontario
Chief Justice of Quebec
Chief Justice of Nova Scotia
Chief Justice of New Brunswick
Chief Justice of Manitoba
Chief Justice of British Columbia and Yukon
Chief Justice of Prince Edward Island
Chief Justice of Saskatchewan
Chief Justice of Alberta, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut
Chief Justice of Newfoundland and Labrador
Chief Justices and Associate Chief Justices of other superior courts, in order of appointment as chief justice
Associate Chief Justice of Ontario
Chief Justice of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice
Associate Chief Justice of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice
Chief Justice of the Superior Court of Quebec
Senior Associate Chief Justice of the Superior Court of Quebec
Associate Chief Justice of the Superior Court of Quebec
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia
Associate Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia
Associate Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia, Family Division
Chief Justice of the Court of King's Bench of New Brunswick
Chief Justice of the Court of King's Bench of Manitoba
Associate Chief Justice of the Court of King's Bench of Manitoba
Associate Chief Justice, Family Division, of the Court of King's Bench of Manitoba
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of British Columbia
Associate Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of British Columbia
Chief Justice of the Trial Division, Supreme Court of Prince Edward Island
Chief Justice of the Court of King's Bench for Saskatchewan
Chief Justice of the Court of King's Bench of Alberta
Associate Chief Justice of the Court of King's Bench of Alberta
Chief Justice of the Trial Division of the Supreme Court of Newfoundland
Senior Judge of the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories
Senior Judge of the Supreme Court of the Yukon Territory
Senior Judge of the Nunavut Court of Justice
Federal and provincial superior court puisne justices
Senators
See List of current Canadian senators
Members of the House of Commons
See List of House members of the 44rd Parliament of Canada
Consuls General of Countries Without Diplomatic Representation
Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to Cabinet
Chief of the Defence Staff (Wayne Eyre)
Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (Brenda Lucki)
Speakers of the Legislative Assemblies of the Provinces and Territories
Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
President of the National Assembly of Quebec
Speaker of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly (Keith Bain)
Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick
Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island
Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
Speaker of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly (Derek Bennett)
Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories
Speaker of the Yukon Legislative Assembly (Jeremy Harper)
Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut (Tony Akoak)
Members of the Executive Councils of the Provinces and Territories
Judges of Provincial and Territorial Courts
Members of the Legislative Assemblies of the Provinces and Territories
Chairperson of the Canadian Association of Former Parliamentarians
See also
Canadian order of precedence (decorations and medals)
Canadian Forces order of precedence
Politics of Canada
Removal from the Order of Canada
Footnotes
External links
Department of Canadian Heritage: Table of Precedence for Canada
The Honours, Flags and Heritage Structure of the Canadian Forces
Order of precedence, Canadian