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Citation of Statutes

All statutes enacted by the Legislature have a title, sometimes referred to as the long title. Virtually all public statutes and recent private and local statutes, other than amending statutes, also have a short title for convenience of reference. The short title is used in preference to the long title. Statutes may be cited by the long title or short title without reference to the chapter and year (unless that leads to an ambiguous reference).

Statutes are now cited by chapter and the calendar year. Traditionally, the statutes were cited by the regnal year. The chapter numbers are assigned by the Office of the Legislative Counsel after Royal Assent on the basis of the calendar year.

example
Chapter 1 of the Acts of 1995-96, the Education Act

[sometimes written as Education Act, Statutes of Nova Scotia 1995-96, Chapter 1 or Education Act, Stats N.S. 1995-96, c. 1 or Education Act, S.N.S. 1995-96, c. 1 or Education Act, 1995-96, c. 1]

For proper citation, consult the table below.

55th Assembly
56th Assembly
57th Assembly
58th Assembly
59th Assembly
60th Assembly
61st Assembly
62nd Assembly
63rd Assembly
64th Assembly

The revised statutes of 1989, 1967, 1954, 1923 and 1900 are cited by year. The revised statutes of 1884, 1873, 1864, 1859 and 1851 are cited by series -- Fifth Series, Fourth Series, etc. The revised statutes of 1783 and 1767 are cited by year. In the case of the revised statutes of 1989, there is also the 1992 supplement which is in the 1992 annual volume.

example:
Chapter 1 of the Revised Statutes, 1989, the Accountant General of the Supreme Court Act or Chapter 1 of the Revised Statutes of Nova Scotia, 1989, the Accountant General of the Supreme Court Act

[sometimes written as Accountant General of the Supreme Court Act, Revised Statutes of Nova Scotia 1989, Chapter 1 or Accountant General of the Supreme Court Act, Revised Statutes 1989, Chapter 1 or Accountant General of the Supreme Court Act, R.S.N.S. 1989, c. 1 or Accountant General of the Supreme Court Act, R.S. 1989, c. 1

A reference to a statute is deemed by law to be a reference to the statute as amended.

 

55th Assembly
SessionRegnal YearStatute
Volume
CitationChapters
1st38 Elizabeth II198919891 - 82
2nd39 Elizabeth II199019901 - 77
40 Elizabeth II199119911 - 43
41 Elizabeth II199219921 - 78
 

56th Assembly
SessionRegnal YearStatute
Volume
CitationChapters
1st42 Elizabeth II199319931 - 76
2nd43 Elizabeth II199419941 - 96
43-44 Elizabeth II1994-951994-951 - 34
3rd44 Elizabeth II199519951 - 17
1995-961995-961 - 35
4th45 Elizabeth II199619961 - 20
Fall 199621 - 42
5th46 Elizabeth II199719971 - 14
6th1997
(2nd Session)
----------
1998
1997
(2nd Session)
1 - 11
 

57th Assembly
SessionRegnal YearStatute
Volume
CitationChapters
1st47 Elizabeth II1997
(2nd Session)
----------
1998
19981 - 6
Fall 1998
Volume 1
7 - 20
Fall 1998
Volume 2
21 - 45
48 Elizabeth II199919991 - 18

58th Assembly
SessionRegnal YearStatute
Volume
CitationChapters
1st48 Elizabeth II1999
(2nd Session)
1999
(2nd Session)
1 - 18
49 Elizabeth II200020001 - 21
Fall 200022 - 41
2nd50 Elizabeth II200120011 - 27
Fall 200128 - 51
51 Elizabeth II200220021-29
Fall 200230-43
3rd52 Elizabeth II2003
----------
2003
(2nd Session)
20031-24

 

59th Assembly
SessionRegnal YearStatute
Volume
CitationChapters
1st52 Elizabeth II2003
----------
2003
(2nd Session)
2003
(2nd Session)
1 - 8
53 Elizabeth II200420041 - 54
54 Elizabeth II200520051 - 65

 

60th Assembly
SessionRegnal YearStatute
Volume
CitationChapters
1st55 Elizabeth II200620061 - 55
55 Elizabeth II200720071 - 25
2nd56 Elizabeth II2007200726 - 57
57 Elizabeth II200820081 - 70
 

61st Assembly
SessionRegnal YearStatute
Volume
CitationChapters
1st58 Elizabeth II200920091 - 31
2nd59 Elizabeth II201020101 - 78
3rd60 Elizabeth II201120111 - 76
4th61 Elizabeth II201220121 - 70
5th62 Elizabeth II201320131 - 30
 

62nd Assembly
SessionRegnal YearStatute
Volume
CitationChapters
1st62 Elizabeth II2013201331 - 44
2nd63 Elizabeth II201420141 - 61
64 Elizabeth II201520151 - 55
64 Elizabeth II201620161 - 17
3rd65 Elizabeth II2016201618 - 28
66 Elizabeth II201720171 - 2

63rd Assembly
SessionRegnal YearStatute
Volume
CitationChapters
1st66 Elizabeth II201720173 - 21
2nd67 Elizabeth II201820181 - 45
68 Elizabeth II201920191 - 42
69 Elizabeth II202020201 - 20
3rd70 Elizabeth II202120211 - 19

64th Assembly
SessionRegnal YearStatute
Volume
CitationChapters
1st70 Elizabeth II2021202120 - 39
71 Elizabeth II202220221 - 33
1 Charles III2022202234 - 57
1 Charles III202320231 - 9
2 Charles III2023202310 - 26