Government Documents, Data
& Maps

WHAT ARE THEY?

Orders in Council refer to directives from the Executive Council. Orders in Council can be used to expropriate land, to allow expenditures, to transfer responsibilities of ministers, and so on. The Orders in Council we see printed most often refer to appointments to various commissions and councils.

In New Brunswick, Orders in Council from 1784 to 1995 are kept in the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick. Orders in Council from 1996 to the present remain with the Executive Council office.

The original copies of the Orders in Council between 1784 and 1977 are closed to public use because of the condition of the paper and bindings, but are available on microfilm at the Provincial Archives. The Orders in Council are received by the Provincial Archives on an on-going basis; the dates above are effective as of Fall 1999.

THE NUMBERS...

Since 1943, all Orders in Council have a number made up of the year of issue, followed by a dash, and a sequential number (e.g. 88-914). Prior to that date, an Order in Council is simply referred to by a name or topic, and a date.

I HAVE THE OIC NUMBER; WHERE DO I GO?

Orders In Council are printed on the first page of the Royal Gazette and, since they are printed sequentially, you can quickly determine whether the Order In Council has been printed.

NOTE: OIC's are not always printed in the Royal Gazette. OICs of "wide public interest" are printed, but the imprecision of the definition makes it difficult to predict whether the particular OIC you want will be found in the Royal Gazette.

I DON'T HAVE AN OIC NUMBER; WHAT DO I DO?

The Royal Gazette produces an annual index which we bind in with the issues for that year. Check under the heading "Orders in Council". The OICs are grouped further into "Appointments" and "General". The number beside each entry is the page of the Royal Gazette on which the OIC is printed.

OICs are not indexed under any other subject headings but you can also try the listing of OICs issued during various months of the year; it appears irregularly.