WHEREAS the Government of Canada has undertaken to recommend to Parliament the enactment of legislation to give effect to the Westbank First Nation Self Government Agreement;
NOW, THEREFORE, Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:
Short Title
This Act may be cited as the Westbank First Nation Self-Government Act.
Interpretation
In this Act, Agreement means the Westbank First Nation Self-Government Agreement signed on behalf of the Westbank First Nation and Her Majesty in right of Canada on October 3, 2003 and laid before the Senate and the House of Commons on November 5, 2003, and includes any amendments made to it from time to time in accordance with its provisions.
In this Act, the expressions council, member, Westbank First Nation, Westbank lands and Westbank law have the same meaning as in the Agreement.
Effect of Agreement
The Agreement is approved and has the force of law.
Persons and bodies have the powers, rights, privileges and benefits conferred on them by the Agreement and are subject to the obligations and liabilities imposed on them by the Agreement.
The Agreement is binding on and may be relied on by all persons.
The provisions of the Agreement respecting Canada’s international legal obligations may be invoked only by a party to the Agreement.
In the event of a conflict between this Act or the Agreement and any other federal law, this Act or the Agreement prevails to the extent of the conflict.
Application of Other Acts
The Indian Act does not apply in respect of the Westbank First Nation, its council, its members or Westbank lands except to the extent provided by the Agreement.
The Framework Agreement on First Nation Land Management Act and the Indian Oil and Gas Act do not apply in respect of the Westbank First Nation, its council, its members or Westbank lands.
The Statutory Instruments Act does not apply in respect of Westbank law.
Notwithstanding any provision of this Act or the Agreement, for the purpose of enabling the Westbank First Nation to benefit from the provisions of the First Nations Fiscal Management Act or obtain the services of any body established under that Act, the Governor in Council may make any regulations that the Governor in Council considers necessary, including regulations
adapting any provision of that Act or of any regulation made under that Act; and
restricting the application of any provision of that Act or of any regulation made under that Act.
Legal Proceedings
Judicial notice shall be taken of the Agreement and Westbank law.
Application for judicial review in accordance with the Agreement may only be made after all applicable procedures for appeal or review provided by Westbank law have been exhausted.
Neither the council nor any person or body appointed by the Westbank First Nation and having, exercising or purporting to exercise jurisdiction or powers conferred by or under Westbank law is a federal board, commission or other tribunal within the meaning of the Federal Courts Act.
A party in any proceeding before a court or tribunal shall serve notice in writing on the Attorney General of Canada and the Westbank First Nation of any issue raised by that party in respect of
the interpretation or validity of the Agreement; or
the validity or applicability of this Act or of Westbank law.
A notice must identify the proceeding in which the issue arises, state whether it arises in relation to paragraph (1)(a) or (b), give particulars of the point to be argued and, if a date has been fixed for argument, give the date.
A notice shall be accompanied by copies of all pleadings and other documents pertaining to the issue that are in the possession of the court or tribunal.
A notice shall be served within seven days after the issue is first raised by a party to the proceeding, whether in the initial pleadings or otherwise, and the issue may not be argued sooner than fourteen days after service unless the court or tribunal allows a shorter period.
In any proceeding to which subsection (1) applies, the Attorney General of Canada and the Westbank First Nation may appear and participate with the same rights as any other party.
General
The Governor in Council may, on the recommendation of the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations made after consideration of any representations of the council, make any regulations or orders that the Governor in Council considers necessary or advisable for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of the Agreement.
References in the Agreement to Canada, other than as a place, shall be read as references to Her Majesty in right of Canada.
For the purposes of subsection 29(3) of the Canada Lands Surveys Act, in relation to Westbank lands, surveys and plans must be satisfactory to the council rather than to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations.
Subsection (1) does not apply in relation to boundaries between Westbank lands and other lands.
The Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development shall have a copy of the Agreement and of every amendment made to the Agreement, certified by the Minister to be a true copy, deposited in
the Library and Archives of Canada;
the library of the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development situated in the National Capital Region; and
the office of that Department situated nearest to Westbank lands.
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Privacy Act
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Coordinating Amendments
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