Plain meaning
The final formal step by which a bill passed by Parliament becomes an Act of Parliament.
Also called
received Royal Assent
assented to
Key points
- A bill generally must pass required readings and votes in both the House of Commons and the Senate before Royal Assent.
- After Royal Assent, the bill becomes an Act, but different provisions may come into force on different dates.
- Some provisions come into force immediately, while others depend on a specified date or an order in council.
- Tax legislation can have effective dates that differ from the Royal Assent date.
- Checking Royal Assent helps distinguish proposed changes from enacted law.
Why it comes up
Royal Assent matters because many tax and benefit changes are not fully enacted until the relevant bill becomes law.