Editing Senate of Canada (section)

=== Divorce and other private bills ===
Historically, before the passage of the ''[[Divorce Act (Canada)|Divorce Act]]'' in 1968, there was no divorce legislation in either [[Quebec]] or [[Newfoundland and Labrador|Newfoundland]]. The only way for couples to get divorced in these provinces was to apply to Parliament for a [[private bill]] of divorce. These bills were primarily handled by the Senate, where a special committee would undertake an investigation of a request for a divorce. If the committee found that the request had merit, the marriage would be dissolved by an [[Act of Parliament]]. A similar situation existed in [[Ontario]] before 1930. This function has not been exercised since 1968 as the ''Divorce Act'' provided a uniform statutory basis across Canada accessed through the court system.{{Citation needed|date=March 2022}}

However, though increasingly rare, private bills usually commence in the Senate and only upon petition by a private person (natural or legal). In addition to the general stages public bills must go through, private bills also require the Senate to perform some judicial functions to ensure the petitioner's request does not impair rights of other persons.{{Citation needed|date=March 2022}}