British North America Act

British North America Act, act passed by the British Parliament in 1867 to create the Dominion of Canada, uniting Canada (Quebec and Ontario), New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia under a federal government. The act served as Canada's constitution until 1982; under it, amendments had to be submitted to the British Parliament for formal approval. The Constitution Act, 1982, superseded the earlier law (now also known as the Constitution Act, 1867), thus “patriating” the constitution.

See also: Confederation of Canada.