Originally from:
Legal Aspects of Doing Business in North America - 2nd Edition - Loose leaf
Legal Aspects of Doing Business in North America - 2nd Edition - Electronic
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Northwest Territories
Austin F Marshall
Marshall & Company
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada
Introduction
Constitution
The Northwest Territories is a creature of Parliament, established under the enabling
power of section 146 of the Constitution Act 1867, and the Northwest Territories Act. The
chief executive officer is the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories, who has direction
over the region and, more particularly, the civil service. The government is officially
referred to as to the Government of the Northwest Territories. The Commissioner reports
to the Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs of the Government of Canada, and is a federal
civil servant. The Federal Government maintains continuing prominence through the
activities of many of its departments and boards.
The headquarters of the government is located in Yellowknife. There are two administrative
regions, namely, Fort Smith and Inuvik. These areas are locally administered out of
the regional centers of Forth Smith and Inuvik.
Aregional director heads up each region, but parallel administration of each government
department is maintained through the Yellowknife headquarters with ultimate administrative
decisions being made by the deputy ministers. Each deputy minister, in turn,
reports to a minister, who is a member of the Executive Council.With the exception of the
Department of Justice, there are no statutes that establish any particular department.
The political life of the Northwest Territories is carried on by the Legislative Assembly.
This 19-member body is created under the Northwest Territories Act. The structure and
operation of the Legislative Assembly and the Executive Council are dealt with in detail
in the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act. The Assembly has a four-year
life, and the Commissioner must convene at least two sessions in every year so that
12 months shall not intervene between the last session in one year and the first session in
the next year.
The Assembly normally sits for three sessions in each year, for a duration of four to six
weeks. The sessions must be held at the seat of government, which is Yellowknife, but
may, by order of the Commissioner made on recommendation of the Speaker, be held in a
place in the Territories other than Yellowknife. Assemblies have been held in other communities
from time to time, but this has proved to be a costly and unwieldy process.
Northwest Territories
Introduction
Forms of Business Enterprise
Territorial Labor Laws
Regulations Concerning Particular Business Activities
Harvesting and Agriculture
Financial Institutions
Consumer Protection
Landlord and Tenant
Enforcement of Judgments
Taxation and Funding
Municipal Law
Economic Development Agreements
Environmental Control
Travel and Tourism
Liquor
International Relations
Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Rights
Austin F Marshall Marshall & Company, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada
