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Exhibit 31.1

|CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO                    
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|SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

I, Harvey Lalach, certify that:

|1. | I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-QSB of
      Anavex Life Sciences Corp.;                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
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|2. | Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any
      untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
      necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under
      which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period
      covered by this report;
|   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
|3. | Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and
      other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all
      material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash
      flows of the small business issuer as of, and for, the periods presented
      in this report;        
|   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
|4. | I am responsible for establishing and maintaining
      disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules
      13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the small business issuer and have:                                                                                                                               
|   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
|   | (a)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
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|   | (b)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
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|   | (c)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
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|5. | I have disclosed, based on my most
      recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the
      small business issuer's auditors and the audit committee of the small
      business issuer's board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent
      functions):                                    
|   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
|   | (a)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
|   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
|   | (b)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Date: August 18, 2008

|/s/ Harvey Lalach                                                                                
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|Harvey Lalach                                                                                    
|President, Chief Financial Officer and Secretary                                                 
|(Principal Executive Officer, Principal Financial Officer
      and Principal Accounting Officer)

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