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.

This article is about the order of precedence for Canadian dignitaries. For the list of precedence for medals, honours and post-nominals, see Canadian order of precedence (decorations and medals).
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Orders of precedence

Argentina

Australia

Bangladesh

Barbados

Belgium

Brazil

Brunei

Canada

Alberta
British Columbia
Manitoba
New Brunswick
Nova Scotia
Ontario
Prince Edward Island
Quebec
Saskatchewan
Yukon

China

Hong Kong
Macau

Denmark

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Guatemala

Holy See

India

Indonesia

Israel

Italy

Jamaica

Lithuania

Malaysia

Johor
Kedah
Kelantan
Malacca
Negeri Sembilan
Pahang
Penang
Perak
Perlis
Sabah
Sarawak
Selangor
Terengganu

Malta

New Zealand

Nepal

Norway

Pakistan

Poland

Poland-Lithuania (hist.)

Portugal

Philippines

Romania

Russia

South Africa

South Korea

Spain

Sri Lanka

Singapore

Sweden

Switzerland

Thailand

Turkey

United Kingdom

England and Wales
Scotland
Northern Ireland
United States

The Department of Canadian Heritage issues a Table of Precedence for Canada,[1] 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,[2] 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 (senior side) 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 (Elizabeth II)[3]
  2. Governor General of Canada (Julie Payette)
  3. Prime Minister of Canada (Justin Trudeau)
  4. Chief Justice of Canada (Richard Wagner)
  5. Former Governors General of Canada in order of their departure from office:
    1. Ed Schreyer (1979–1984)
    2. Adrienne Clarkson (1999–2005)
    3. Michaëlle Jean (2005–2010)
    4. David Johnston (2010–2017)
  6. Widows of Governors General of Canada:
    1. Gerda Hnatyshyn, widow of Ray Hnatyshyn
    2. Diana Fowler LeBlanc, widow of Roméo LeBlanc
  7. Former Prime Ministers of Canada in order of their first assumption of office:
    1. Joe Clark (1979–1980)
    2. John Turner (1984)
    3. Brian Mulroney (1984–1993)
    4. Kim Campbell (1993)
    5. Jean Chrétien (1993–2003)
    6. Paul Martin (2003–2006)
    7. Stephen Harper (2006–2015)
  8. Former Chief Justices of Canada, in order of their appointment
    1. Beverly McLachlin (2000–2017)
  9. Speaker of the Senate of Canada (George Furey)
  10. Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada (Anthony Rota)
  11. Representatives to Canada of foreign governments
    Ambassadors and High Commissioners come first, in order of the presentation of their credentials; then come Ministers Plenipotentiary, and then Chargés d'affaires.
  12. Members of the Canadian Ministry
    1. Members of the Cabinet:
      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.[1] However, the current Canadian Ministry opted to used an alternative order that is determined by the Prime Minister.[4]
    2. Ministers of State
      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.[5]
  13. Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition (Andrew Scheer)
  14. Lieutenant Governors of the provinces, in the order their province joined Confederation and by population at joining to break ties
    1. Lieutenant Governor of Ontario (Elizabeth Dowdeswell)
    2. Lieutenant Governor of Quebec (J. Michel Doyon)
    3. Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia (Arthur Joseph LeBlanc)
    4. Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick (Brenda Murphy)
    5. Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba (Janice Filmon)
    6. Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia (Judith Guichon)
    7. Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island (Frank Lewis)
    8. Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan (W. Thomas Molloy)
    9. Lieutenant Governor of Alberta (Lois Mitchell)
    10. Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador (Judy Foote)
  15. 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.[6]
    1. Don Mazankowski PC OC AOE (1992) (the only person with the title "Right Honourable" who is not higher on the list)
    2. List of current members of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada
  16. Premiers of the Provinces, in the order their province joined confederation and by population at joining to break ties
    1. Premier of Ontario (Doug Ford)
    2. Premier of Quebec (François Legault)
    3. Premier of Nova Scotia (Stephen McNeil)
    4. Premier of New Brunswick (Blaine Higgs)
    5. Premier of Manitoba (Brian Pallister)
    6. Premier of British Columbia (John Horgan)
    7. Premier of Prince Edward Island (Wade MacLauchlan)
    8. Premier of Saskatchewan (Scott Moe)
    9. Premier of Alberta (Jason Kenney)
    10. Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador (Dwight Ball)
  17. Commissioners of the Territories
    1. Commissioner of the Northwest Territories (Margaret Thom)
    2. Commissioner of Yukon (Doug Phillips)
    3. Commissioner of Nunavut (Nellie Kusugak)
  18. Premiers of the Territories
    1. Premier of the Northwest Territories (Bob McLeod)
    2. Premier of Yukon (Sandy Silver)
    3. Premier of Nunavut (Paul Quassa)
  19. Religious leaders, equally, by seniority
    Limited to "senior Canadian representatives of faith communities having a significant presence in a relevant jurisdiction".
  20. Puisne Judges of the Supreme Court
  21. Superior court justices
    1. Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Canada
    2. Associate Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Canada
    3. Chief Justices of the highest court of each province and territory in order of date of appointment as chief justice
      • Chief Justice of Ontario
      • Chief Justice of Quebec
      • Chief Justice of Nova Scotia
      • Chief Justice of New Brunswick
      • Chief Justice of Manitoba
      • Chief Justice of British Columbia and Yukon
      • Chief Justice of Prince Edward Island
      • Chief Justice of Saskatchewan
      • Chief Justice of Alberta, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut
      • Chief Justice of Newfoundland and Labrador
    4. Chief Justices and Associate Chief Justices of other superior courts, in order of appointment as chief justice
      • Associate Chief Justice of Ontario
      • Chief Justice of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice
      • Associate Chief Justice of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice
      • Chief Justice of the Superior Court of Quebec
      • Senior Associate Chief Justice of the Superior Court of Quebec
      • Associate Chief Justice of the Superior Court of Quebec
      • Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia
      • Associate Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia
      • Associate Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia, Family Division
      • Chief Justice of the Court of Queen's Bench of New Brunswick
      • Chief Justice of the Court of Queen's Bench of Manitoba
      • Associate Chief Justice of the Court of Queen's Bench of Manitoba
      • Associate Chief Justice, Family Division, of the Court of Queen's Bench of Manitoba
      • Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of British Columbia
      • Associate Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of British Columbia
      • Chief Justice of the Trial Division, Supreme Court of Prince Edward Island
      • Chief Justice of the Court of Queen's Bench for Saskatchewan
      • Chief Justice of the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta
      • Associate Chief Justice of the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta
      • Chief Justice of the Trial Division of the Supreme Court of Newfoundland
      • Senior Judge of the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories
      • Senior Judge of the Supreme Court of the Yukon Territory
      • Senior Judge of the Nunavut Court of Justice
    5. Federal and provincial superior court puisne justices
  22. Senators
    See List of current Canadian senators
  23. Members of the House of Commons
    See List of House members of the 42nd Parliament of Canada
  24. Consuls General of Countries Without Diplomatic Representation
  25. Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to Cabinet (Janice Charette)
  26. Chief of the Defence Staff (Jonathan Vance)
  27. Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
  28. Speakers of the Legislative Assemblies of the Provinces and Territories
    1. Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario (Ted Arnott)
    2. President of the National Assembly of Quebec ()
    3. Speaker of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly (Kevin Murphy)
    4. Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick ()
    5. Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba ()
    6. Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia ()
    7. Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island ()
    8. Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan ()
    9. Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta (Bob Wanner)
    10. Speaker of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly (Tom Osborne)
    11. Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories ()
    12. Speaker of the Yukon Legislative Assembly ()
    13. Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut ()
  29. Members of the Executive Councils of the Provinces and Territories
  30. Judges of Provincial and Territorial Courts
  31. Members of the Legislative Assemblies of the Provinces and Territories
  32. Chairperson of the Canadian Association of Former Parliamentarians

See also

Footnotes
  1. Department of Canadian Heritage: Table of Precedence for Canada
  2. The Honours, Flags and Heritage Structure of the Canadian Forces Archived March 25, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  3. Footnote 1 of the Table of Precedence for Canada Archived 2016-12-20 at the Wayback Machine issued by the Department of Canadian Heritage states that the Queen is to be afforded precedence immediately before the Governor General. No other members of the Royal Family are listed in the table or mentioned in the footnotes. The Canadian Armed Forces protocol places members of the royal family immediately after the Governor General when they are in Canada. That protocol does not list a precedence within the royal family.
  4. "The Canadian Ministry (by order of precedence)". Archived from the original on 2017-09-01. Retrieved 2017-08-29.
  5. The Ministry in order of precedence
  6. "Members of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada". Archived from the original on 2016-02-15. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
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