Haven’t researched federal legislation for a while? It may be easier than you remember, particularly if you use some electronic resources that are now available for free online.
For Canadian statutes, you can find fairly current versions, and older versions back to 2003, through CanLII and the Department of Justice. CanLII even has a neat feature displaying side-by side comparisons of two versions of the same act.
Comparing Versions in CanLII
Search the title of an act through CanLII. Click the link under the act’s title (for a really long act, like the Criminal Code, it may take a few moments to load):
This shows you the most current version. Note the “last updated” statement.
Click the box to the left of the two versions you want to see, and click compare.
Scroll down to the section you want. The top of each column shows the dates for that version. Since there was no Section 27.1 of the Criminal Code in 2003, only a red line is visible. In the recent version, the newer section is highlighted in green with historical information underneath.
Department of Justice
Federal legislation back to 2003 is also available on the Department of Justice website. Click Advanced - Point-in-Time (vertical bar along the left of your screen).
Search for a statute by title or chapter number, and select a date that you’d like to see. Click Search.
Click the title to see your statute:
The paid subscription service LexisNexis/Quicklaw has a similar feature, which includes point-in-time legislation back to 1999 for most federal acts, and 1988 for criminal statutes.
For older print materials, phone or visit the Vancouver Courthouse Library or a regional Courthouse Library (check availability).