War Measures Act
| War Measures Act | |
|---|---|
| Parliament of Canada | |
| |
| Citation | 5 George V, Chap. 2 RSC 1985 c. W-2 |
| Enacted by | Parliament of Canada |
| Assented to | August 22, 1914 |
| Repealed | July 21, 1988 |
| Repealed by | |
| Emergencies Act | |
| Status: Repealed | |
The War Measures Act (French: Loi sur les mesures de guerre; 5 George V, Chap. 2) was a statute of the Parliament of Canada that provided for the declaration of war, invasion, or insurrection, and the types of emergency measures that could thereby be taken. The Act was brought into force three times in Canadian history: during the First World War, Second World War, and the 1970 October Crisis.
The Act was questioned for its suspension of civil liberties and personal freedoms, including only for Ukrainians and other Europeans during Canada's first national internment operations of 1914–1920, the Second World War's Japanese Canadian internment, and in the October Crisis. In 1988, it was repealed and replaced by the Emergencies Act.