Abbreviations
Avoid them if you can. Do not italicize act abbrevations or acronyms. Only use an abbreviation for an act if your audience will definitely know what it means. Always write it in full first.
Not: YESAA
But: YESAA
Bills
Until an act has been passed, refer to it as a bill.
Not: the Archives and Public Records Management Act
But: the Archives and Public Records Management Bill
If an act has yet to be passed but for some reason you need to refer to it as an act rather than a bill, do not write it in italics.
Not: The Government of Yukon is committed to creating a Cupcake Act soon.
But: The Government of Yukon is committed to creating a Cupcake Act soon.
If you want to refer to a bill formally, write "the Bill: An Act to Amend the Cupcake Act".
If you're writing about a bill in a news release:
- Not: Bill number 123, Bill #123 or Bill 123
- But: Bill No. 123
Capitalization
Use uppercase, not lowercase, when you're referring to a specific act, regulation or bill or a schedule in an act.
Not: act, regulation, bill, schedule
But: Act, Regulation, Bill, Schedule
Use lowercase, however, when you’re writing about acts, regulations, bills and schedules in a general way ("act", "regulation").
Citations
In the Yukon, when we refer to (or “cite”) legislation in legal documents, we cite statutes as statutes of Yukon (SY) with the year, followed by the chapter number. For example, SY 2016, c.8. Statutes from the 2002 revision follow the same formula but with RSY 2002. Citations in acts do not include act names. When we cite a regulation, we use its Order-in-Council number.
Italics
Once an act has been assented to or a regulation has been passed, write the name in full and put it in italics. If the act or regulation has been passed but not yet proclaimed, still use italics.
Not: the Motor Vehicles Regulation has been passed
But: the Motor Vehicles Regulation has been passed
Only put acts and regulations in italics once they have been passed.
Once you’ve used the full name of the act or regulation, you can just refer to it as “the Act” or “the Regulation".
If you're referring to both an act and its regulations and they have been passed, use italics for their titles but not the connecting "and".
Not: the Dental Profession Act and Dental Profession Regulations
But: the Dental Profession Act and Dental Profession Regulations
However, if you're referring to an act that has more than 1 regulation and those regulations have different names, do not put the reference to regulations in italics but do capitalize "Regulations".
Not: The Societies Act and its Regulations, the Societies Act and Regulations
But: The Societies Act and its Regulations
Names of legislation
Check you’re using the correct name of the act you’re referring to. Many act and regulation names, for example, do not have “Yukon” in them. If it does, it’s because it relates to something that has Yukon in its name, such as Yukon College or Yukon Development Corporation.
View the listing of all Government of Yukon acts and regulations.
Not: Yukon Agricultural Products Act
But: Yukon’s Agricultural Products Act, the Yukon Agricultural Products Act
Quotations
Whenever a Minister’s quotation, for example in a news release, refers to an act or to a regulation, write the name in full.
Formal government name
Legislation should use the government's formal name, the Government of Yukon.
Changing to the singular
As we draft new regulations, our style is to use the singular. So when you’re referring to a new regulation, use the singular, not the plural. However, if you're citing an existing regulation and it uses the plural, use the plural. Email [email protected] for help you if you need guidance.
Not: Regulations
But: Regulation