Canadian order of precedence


The Canadian order of precedence is a ceremonial hierarchy of important positions within the governing institutions of Canada. It has no legal standing, but is used to dictate protocol.
The Department of Canadian Heritage issues the Table of Precedence for Canada. The Department of National Defence reproduces this Table, with the additional note that members of the royal family 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.

List

  1. King 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. # Julie Payette
  11. Widows of Governors General of Canada :
  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. # Kim Campbell
  16. # Jean Chrétien
  17. # Paul Martin
  18. # Stephen Harper
  19. # Justin Trudeau
  20. Former Chief Justices of Canada, in order of their appointment
  21. # Beverly McLachlin
  22. Speaker of the Senate of Canada
  23. Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada
  24. Representatives to Canada of foreign governments
  25. : Ambassadors and High Commissioners come first, in order of the presentation of their credentials; then come Ministers Plenipotentiary, and then Chargés d'affaires.
  26. Members of the Canadian Ministry
  27. # Members of the Cabinet:
  28. #: The Table of Precedence for Canada prescribes that order of precedence within this group be determined in order of appointment to the King'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 use an alternative order that is determined by the Prime Minister.
  29. #Ministers of State
  30. #:In order of appointment to the King's Privy Council for Canada with ties broken by order of election to the House or appointment to the Senate.
  31. Leader of His Majesty's Loyal Opposition
  32. Lieutenant Governors of the provinces, in the order their province joined Confederation and by population at joining to break ties
  33. # Lieutenant Governor of Ontario
  34. # Lieutenant Governor of Quebec
  35. # Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia
  36. # Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick
  37. # Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba
  38. # Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia
  39. # Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island
  40. # Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan
  41. # Lieutenant Governor of Alberta
  42. # Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador
  43. All other Members of the King'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.
  44. # List of current members of the King's Privy Council for Canada
  45. Premiers of the provinces, in the order their province joined confederation and by population at joining to break ties
  46. # Premier of Ontario
  47. # Premier of Quebec
  48. # Premier of Nova Scotia
  49. # Premier of New Brunswick
  50. # Premier of Manitoba
  51. # Premier of British Columbia
  52. # Premier of Prince Edward Island
  53. # Premier of Saskatchewan
  54. # Premier of Alberta
  55. # Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador
  56. Commissioners of the Territories
  57. # Commissioner of the Northwest Territories
  58. # Commissioner of Yukon
  59. # Commissioner of Nunavut
  60. Premiers of the Territories
  61. # Premier of the Northwest Territories
  62. # Premier of Yukon
  63. # Premier of Nunavut
  64. Religious leaders, equally, by seniority
  65. :Limited to "senior Canadian representatives of faith communities having a significant presence in a relevant jurisdiction".
  66. Puisne Judges of the Supreme Court
  67. Superior court justices
  68. # Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Canada
  69. # Associate Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Canada
  70. # Chief Justices of the highest court of each province and territory in order of date of appointment as chief justice
  71. #* Chief Justice of Ontario
  72. #* Chief Justice of Quebec
  73. #* Chief Justice of Nova Scotia
  74. #* Chief Justice of New Brunswick
  75. #* Chief Justice of Manitoba
  76. #* Chief Justice of British Columbia and Yukon
  77. #* Chief Justice of Prince Edward Island
  78. #* Chief Justice of Saskatchewan
  79. #* Chief Justice of Alberta, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut
  80. #* Chief Justice of Newfoundland and Labrador
  81. # Chief Justices and Associate Chief Justices of other superior courts, in order of appointment as chief justice
  82. #* Associate Chief Justice of Ontario
  83. #* Chief Justice of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice
  84. #* Associate Chief Justice of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice
  85. #* Chief Justice of the Superior Court of Quebec
  86. #* Senior Associate Chief Justice of the Superior Court of Quebec
  87. #* Associate Chief Justice of the Superior Court of Quebec
  88. #* Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia
  89. #* Associate Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia
  90. #* Associate Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia, Family Division
  91. #* Chief Justice of the Court of King's Bench of New Brunswick
  92. #* Chief Justice of the Court of King's Bench of Manitoba
  93. #* Associate Chief Justice of the Court of King's Bench of Manitoba
  94. #* Associate Chief Justice, Family Division, of the Court of King's Bench of Manitoba
  95. #* Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of British Columbia
  96. #* Associate Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of British Columbia
  97. #* Chief Justice of the Trial Division, Supreme Court of Prince Edward Island
  98. #* Chief Justice of the Court of King's Bench for Saskatchewan
  99. #* Chief Justice of the Court of King's Bench of Alberta
  100. #* Associate Chief Justice of the Court of King's Bench of Alberta
  101. #* Chief Justice of the Trial Division of the Supreme Court of Newfoundland
  102. #* Senior Judge of the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories
  103. #* Senior Judge of the Supreme Court of Yukon
  104. #* Senior Judge of the Nunavut Court of Justice
  105. # Federal and provincial superior court puisne justices
  106. Senators
  107. : See List of current Canadian senators
  108. Members of the House of Commons
  109. : See List of House members of the 45th Parliament of Canada
  110. Consuls General of Countries Without Diplomatic Representation
  111. Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to Cabinet
  112. Chief of the Defence Staff
  113. Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
  114. Speakers of the Legislative Assemblies of the Provinces and Territories
  115. # Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
  116. # President of the National Assembly of Quebec
  117. # Speaker of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly
  118. # Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick
  119. # Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
  120. # Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
  121. # Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island
  122. # Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
  123. # Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
  124. # Speaker of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly
  125. # Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories
  126. # Speaker of the Yukon Legislative Assembly
  127. # Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut
  128. Members of the Executive Councils of the Provinces and Territories
  129. Judges of Provincial and Territorial Courts
  130. Members of the Legislative Assemblies of the Provinces and Territories
  131. Chairperson of the Canadian Association of Former Parliamentarians