Canada: Government Structure

Canada is a federal parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy, with governing authority divided among executive, legislative, and judicial branches. Its framework traces to the Constitution Act of 1867, which established a system in the British "Westminster" tradition, later supplemented by the Constitution Act of 1982 and its accompanying Charter of Rights and Freedoms. As a federation, lawmaking responsibility is shared between the national government and ten provincial and three territorial governments, each with its own areas of jurisdiction.

Executive authority is formally vested in the monarch, represented domestically by the Governor General, but is exercised in practice by the Prime Minister and Cabinet, who must maintain the confidence of the elected House of Commons. Legislative power rests with a bicameral Parliament composed of the House of Commons, whose members are directly elected from ridings across the country, and the Senate, whose members are appointed by the Governor General on the Prime Minister's recommendation to represent Canada's regions. The Prime Minister is typically the leader of the party holding the most seats in the House of Commons.

The judicial branch is headed by the Supreme Court of Canada, whose nine justices are appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister and serve as the final court of appeal for both civil and criminal matters. Below it sit the Federal Court, the Federal Court of Appeal, and a network of provincial and territorial courts that handle the majority of everyday legal matters. Courts across the system are tasked with interpreting the Constitution, including the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and resolving disputes between individuals, governments, and institutions.