What is in a date? Well if it is April 1, people might think that you are kidding. There are some really funny items floating around the legal blogosphere today.
Why would a government ever make April 1 a coming into force date for legislation? What comes into force in Alberta today?
- Gunshot and Stab Wound Mandatory Disclosure Act (pdf)
- Sections 77 and 91 of the Alberta Land Stewardship Act (pdf)
April 1, 2007 was the in force date for the Fuel Tax Act. Sections 3 to 6, 12(a), 16 to 19, 21 to 23, 25, 31 and 32 of the Alberta Corporate Tax Amendment Act, 1995 came into force on April 1, 2006. Financial Institutions Statutes Amendment Act, 1996 came into force on April 1, 1997
Today (Thursday) is also the usual day for Orders in Council in Alberta. I wonder which regulations will have the dubious honour of April 1 as their in force date? We will have to wait until later this afternoon to find out. No foolin'.
I can think of a number of pieces of B.C legislation that came into force on April 1st: for example the Balanced Budget and Ministerial Accountability Act, S.B.C. 2001, c. 28 (April 1, 2002), the Coastal Ferry Act, S.B.C. 2003, c. 14 (April 1, 2003) and the Museum Act, S.B.C. 2003, c. 12 (April 1, 2003).
And of course there's a whole bunch of amendments to the B.C. Lobbyists Registration Act coming into force today.
I make no comment.
Ontario's policy on 'twice annual effective dates' (mainly for regulations, but it could apply to proclaimed statutes too), namely Jan 1 and July 1, will help eliminate this semi-issue. I can recall recommending that changes in regulations come into force on March 31 or perhaps the nearest Monday to the beginning of April, to avoid an April 1 commencement date.
I would submit that this is less problematic than trying to avoid an effective date of Friday the 13th (besides the fact that in a few months no one will remember that the 13th of that month was on a Friday.) It's a good thing we do not have other culturally unlucky or lucky numbers, as some other cultures have.