The Final Step
The Constitution Act of 1982 is the final step in Canadian Confederation. Between the British North America Act and the Statute of Westminster, Canada was almost completely independent, but there was still one area that Britain held control, our constitution. Before 1982 any amendments to the Canadian Constitution had to be reviewed and approved by the British Parliament, meaning that our most significant laws were still controlled by Britain. This changed with the passing of the Constitution Act. This act, spearheaded by the then Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, created the amending formula, which gave Canada a method to add to/change the Canadian Constitution within Canada. This act also created the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which details the rights and freedoms of every Canadian citizen (see http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/Const/Const_index.html for the Charter in its' entirety).