Canadian order of precedence


The Canadian order of precedence is a nominal and symbolic hierarchy of important positions within the governing institutions of Canada. It has no legal standing but is used to dictate ceremonial protocol.
The Department of Canadian Heritage issues a Table of Precedence for Canada, which does not include members of the Royal Family, save for the sovereign, mentioned in a note as preceding the governor general. The Department of National Defence issues near identical guidelines, with the primary difference being the inclusion of members of the Canadian Royal Family, specifying that they take precedence after the governor general. The provinces and territories of Canada also have their own orders of precedence for events of a provincial or territorial nature. They serve the same purpose and are structured similarly, but place an emphasis on provincial or territorial offices.
All units of the Canadian Armed Forces also have an order of precedence that determines seniority; it often decides such matters as which unit forms up to the right of other units on a ceremonial parade, or the order in which marches or calls are played at a mess dinner.
  1. Queen of Canada
  2. Governor General of Canada
  3. Prime Minister of Canada
  4. Chief Justice of Canada
  5. Former Governors General of Canada in order of their departure from office:
  6. # Ed Schreyer
  7. # Adrienne Clarkson
  8. # Michaëlle Jean
  9. # David Johnston
  10. Widows of Governors General of Canada:
  11. # Gerda Hnatyshyn, widow of Ray Hnatyshyn
  12. # Diana Fowler LeBlanc, widow of Roméo LeBlanc
  13. Former Prime Ministers of Canada in order of their first assumption of office:
  14. # Joe Clark
  15. # John Turner
  16. # Brian Mulroney
  17. # Kim Campbell
  18. # Jean Chrétien
  19. # Paul Martin
  20. # Stephen Harper
  21. Former Chief Justices of Canada, in order of their appointment
  22. # Beverly McLachlin
  23. Speaker of the Senate of Canada
  24. Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada
  25. Representatives to Canada of foreign governments
  26. : Ambassadors and High Commissioners come first, in order of the presentation of their credentials; then come Ministers Plenipotentiary, and then Chargés d'affaires.
  27. Members of the Canadian Ministry
  28. # Members of the Cabinet:
  29. #: The Table of Precedence for Canada prescribes that order of precedence within this group be determined in order of appointment to the Queen's Privy Council for Canada with ties broken by order of election to the House or appointment to the Senate. However, the current Canadian Ministry opted to used an alternative order that is determined by the Prime Minister.
  30. #Ministers of State
  31. #:In order of appointment to the Queen's Privy Council for Canada with ties broken by order of election to the House or appointment to the Senate.
  32. Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition
  33. Lieutenant Governors of the provinces, in the order their province joined Confederation and by population at joining to break ties
  34. #Lieutenant Governor of Ontario
  35. # Lieutenant Governor of Quebec
  36. # Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia
  37. # Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick
  38. # Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba
  39. # Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia
  40. # Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island
  41. # Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan
  42. # Lieutenant Governor of Alberta
  43. # Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador
  44. All other Members of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada in order with the date of their appointment to the Privy Council, but with precedence given to those who bear the title "Right Honourable" in accordance with the date of receiving the honorary title.
  45. # Don Mazankowski PC OC AOE
  46. # List of current members of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada
  47. Premiers of the Provinces, in the order their province joined confederation and by population at joining to break ties
  48. # Premier of Ontario
  49. # Premier of Quebec
  50. # Premier of Nova Scotia
  51. # Premier of New Brunswick
  52. # Premier of Manitoba
  53. # Premier of British Columbia
  54. # Premier of Prince Edward Island
  55. # Premier of Saskatchewan
  56. # Premier of Alberta
  57. # Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador
  58. Commissioners of the Territories
  59. # Commissioner of the Northwest Territories
  60. # Commissioner of Yukon
  61. # Commissioner of Nunavut
  62. Premiers of the Territories
  63. # Premier of the Northwest Territories
  64. # Premier of Yukon
  65. # Premier of Nunavut
  66. Religious leaders, equally, by seniority
  67. :Limited to "senior Canadian representatives of faith communities having a significant presence in a relevant jurisdiction".
  68. Puisne Judges of the Supreme Court
  69. Superior court justices
  70. # Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Canada
  71. # Associate Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Canada
  72. # Chief Justices of the highest court of each province and territory in order of date of appointment as chief justice
  73. #* Chief Justice of Ontario
  74. #* Chief Justice of Quebec
  75. #* Chief Justice of Nova Scotia
  76. #* Chief Justice of New Brunswick
  77. #* Chief Justice of Manitoba
  78. #* Chief Justice of British Columbia and Yukon
  79. #* Chief Justice of Prince Edward Island
  80. #* Chief Justice of Saskatchewan
  81. #* Chief Justice of Alberta, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut
  82. #* Chief Justice of Newfoundland and Labrador
  83. # Chief Justices and Associate Chief Justices of other superior courts, in order of appointment as chief justice
  84. #* Associate Chief Justice of Ontario
  85. #* Chief Justice of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice
  86. #* Associate Chief Justice of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice
  87. #* Chief Justice of the Superior Court of Quebec
  88. #* Senior Associate Chief Justice of the Superior Court of Quebec
  89. #* Associate Chief Justice of the Superior Court of Quebec
  90. #* Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia
  91. #* Associate Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia
  92. #* Associate Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia, Family Division
  93. #* Chief Justice of the Court of Queen's Bench of New Brunswick
  94. #* Chief Justice of the Court of Queen's Bench of Manitoba
  95. #* Associate Chief Justice of the Court of Queen's Bench of Manitoba
  96. #* Associate Chief Justice, Family Division, of the Court of Queen's Bench of Manitoba
  97. #* Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of British Columbia
  98. #* Associate Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of British Columbia
  99. #* Chief Justice of the Trial Division, Supreme Court of Prince Edward Island
  100. #* Chief Justice of the Court of Queen's Bench for Saskatchewan
  101. #* Chief Justice of the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta
  102. #* Associate Chief Justice of the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta
  103. #* Chief Justice of the Trial Division of the Supreme Court of Newfoundland
  104. #* Senior Judge of the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories
  105. #* Senior Judge of the Supreme Court of the Yukon Territory
  106. #* Senior Judge of the Nunavut Court of Justice
  107. # Federal and provincial superior court puisne justices
  108. Senators
  109. : See List of current Canadian senators
  110. Members of the House of Commons
  111. : See List of House members of the 42nd Parliament of Canada
  112. Consuls General of Countries Without Diplomatic Representation
  113. Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to Cabinet
  114. Chief of the Defence Staff
  115. Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
  116. Speakers of the Legislative Assemblies of the Provinces and Territories
  117. # Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
  118. # President of the National Assembly of Quebec
  119. # Speaker of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly
  120. # Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick
  121. # Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
  122. # Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
  123. # Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island
  124. # Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
  125. # Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
  126. # Speaker of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly
  127. # Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories
  128. # Speaker of the Yukon Legislative Assembly
  129. # Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut
  130. Members of the Executive Councils of the Provinces and Territories
  131. Judges of Provincial and Territorial Courts
  132. Members of the Legislative Assemblies of the Provinces and Territories
  133. Chairperson of the Canadian Association of Former Parliamentarians

    Footnotes