Statutory provisions and by-laws

The basic statute relating to Dalhousie University is Chapter 24 of the Acts of 1863. This statute replaced earlier statutes, and the 1863 statute itself has been amended and supplemented several times over the years. The provisions of these various statutes provide for the establishment and regulation of the university, the membership of the Board of Governors and its rights and powers, the authority of senate for the internal regulation of the university (subject to the approval of the board), and various other matters. 

Unlike modern statutes, the 1863 statute was not amended in a clear fashion. The Summary and Unofficial Consolidation of the Statutes Relating to Dalhousie University is designed to set out the basic provisions of the statute in a manner that is easier to understand. To accomplish this, the consolidation incorporates all the basic provisions of the amendments but has been slightly reorganized, and the sections renumbered. The years and chapter numbers of the various statutes amending and supplementing the 1863 Act are noted at the end of each section.