2000 Law Library Louis D. Brandeis School of Law, University of Louisville. All rights reserved. Canada has a federal system with legal authority divided between federal and provincial legislatures and courts.
Provincial courts have the authority to create divergent common law precedents.
Canada also has a bill of fundamental rights, the Charter of Rights, that is interpreted by the Supreme Court, and can be used to strike down legislation obnoxious to its principles. Thus, in order to adequately research a legal issue in Canadian law, one must consult a variety of regional and national sources of law. The RSC is not indexed, but the topical table of contents in the front of each volume is a satisfactory, if meager, finding aid. The Law Library does not subscribe to provincial statutes and codes. B. Cases Canada has a efficient case reporting system.