Seals Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. S-6)

Marginal note:Short title

1 This Act may be cited as the Seals Act.

Marginal note:Definitions

2 In this Act,

counter-signature

counter-signature means the endorsement on a royal instrument or on a document under the sign-manual of the signature of Her Majesty’s responsible Canadian minister; (contreseing)

document under the sign-manual

document under the sign-manual means an instrument, in respect of Canada, that, under the present practice, is issued in the name and under the signature of Her Majesty the Queen without any seal; (document revêtu du seing royal)

Great Seal of the Realm

Great Seal of the Realm means the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland for which provision was made in Article XXIV of An Act for an Union of the two Kingdoms of England and Scotland, 5 Anne, 1706, chapter VIII [Statutes at Large, Volume IV], and includes the wafer seal; (grand sceau du Royaume)

royal instrument

royal instrument means an instrument, in respect of Canada, that, under the present practice, is issued by and in the name of the Queen and passed under the Great Seal of the Realm or under one of the signets; (instrument royal)

royal seals

royal seals include the Great Seal of Canada and any other seals or signets that may, with the approval of Her Majesty the Queen, be authorized under this Act; (sceaux royaux)

signet

signet means the seal that, under the existing practice in the United Kingdom, is delivered by Her Majesty the Queen to each of her Principal Secretaries of State in the United Kingdom, and includes the lesser signet or second secretarial seal and the cachet. (signet)

Marginal note:Issue of royal instruments

3 Notwithstanding any law in force in Canada, any royal instrument may be issued by and with the authority of Her Majesty the Queen and passed under the Great Seal of Canada, or under any other royal seal approved by Her Majesty the Queen for the purpose.

Marginal note:Orders and regulations

4 Notwithstanding any law in force in Canada, the Governor in Council may, subject to the approval of Her Majesty the Queen, make orders and regulations relating to royal seals, the use thereof, royal instruments and documents under the sign-manual, and, without restricting the generality of the foregoing, in relation to the following matters:

• (a) the specification of the instruments or classes of instruments that are to be passed under the royal seals;

• (b) the authorization of royal seals, the naming of those seals and the specification of the purposes for which they are to be used;

• (c) the custody of the royal seals;

• (d) the procedure governing the use of the royal seals;

• (e) counter-signature of royal instruments;

• (f) the issuing and counter-signature of documents under the sign-manual;

• (g) the procedure whereby the approval of Her Majesty the Queen and her authority for the issuing of royal instruments and documents under the sign-manual is to be given; and

• (h) the authentication and proof of royal instruments and documents under the sign-manual, including the conditions under which certification by an official, or publication by the Queen’s Printer, constitutes authentication and proof.