When Did Canada Gain Independence From Great Britain?
After being granted autonomy in most of its affairs by the 1931 Statute of Westminster, Canada achieved complete independence from Great Britain through the 1982 Canada Act. The passage of the 1982 act by the Parliament of the United Kingdom granted Canada full authority to amend its own constitution without first requesting an approval from the British Parliament and effectively made Canada a sovereign state and independent nation.
The passage of the 1982 Canada Act was in response to the request made by the federal government of Canada to end the requirement of requesting permission from the British Parliament for certain types of amendments to be made to the Canadian constitution. The Canada Act officially became the 1982 Constitution Act when it was signed into law by Queen Elizabeth II at Canada’s capital city of Ottawa on April 17, 1982. In adherence to Canada’s official policy of bilingualism, the text of both the Canada Act and the Constitution Act are on record as a statutory instrument in English and French.
