Provincial government (Canada)

In the Canadian Republic, a federation of 12 provinces and 6 territories, all 12 provinces possess their own three-branches government, which is responsible for the majority of provincial matters of public administration. Provincial government is divided into three branches: the executive and legislative are not fully independent, as they are modelled on the Westminster system also used by the Canadian federal government:

All provinces have a unicameral legislative assembly, with each seat representing an electoral district of relatively equal population. Politicians currently holding a seat are referred to as Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs). General elections happen every four years: the party or coalition with the majority of seats in the provincial legislature then goes on to form government and is declared premier (head of government) of the province. The new premier may then select other MLAs or non-legislative party members to serve in his/her cabinet, usually known as the Provincial Executive Council or similar.

By contrast, each provincial judiciary is completely independent, and forms the backbone and most meat as well of the Canadian justice system. While the Criminal Code of Canada was passed in the federal Parliament of Canada and can only be altered via federal legislative proceedings, the actual judicial interpretation of the Criminal Code is almost entirely the purview of provincial/territorial courts and law enforcement the purview of provincial/territorial or local law enforcement. In fact, the only permanent federal courts are the Supreme Court of Canada and the Federal Court of Appeal, the former of which hears only the most extreme, national cases and the latter of which hears only appeals of the various provincial and territorial supreme courts. Federal Court of Appeal verdicts can also be appealed for a final time in the Supreme Court of Canada, whose rulings are final and fully binding.