13. (1) If a First Nation votes to approve a land code and an individual agreement, its council shall, after the conclusion of the vote, send to the verifier

• (a) without delay, a copy of the approved code and a declaration that the code and agreement were approved in accordance with section 12; and

• (b) as soon as the circumstances permit, a copy of the individual agreement signed by the First Nation and the Minister.

14. (1) The verifier shall, after receiving the documents referred to in subsection 13(1), certify the validity of the land code unless the verifier, after giving the First Nation and the Minister a reasonable opportunity to make submissions on the matter but within 10 days after the conclusion of the vote, is of the opinion that

15. (1) Subject to subsection (1.1), a land code comes into force and has the force of law on the day on which it is certified or on any other later date that may be specified in or under the land code, and judicial notice shall be taken of the land code in any proceedings from the date of the coming into force of that land code.

Marginal note:Limitation

(1.1) A land code is not to come into force before the day on which the individual agreement is signed by the First Nation and the Minister.

21. (1) After the coming into force of a land code, a First Nation shall, to the extent provided in the Framework Agreement, develop and implement through First Nation laws an environmental protection regime. The regime must be developed in accordance with the terms and conditions set out in the Framework Agreement.

Marginal note:Minimum standards

(2) The standards of environmental protection established by First Nation laws and the punishments imposed for failure to meet those standards must be at least equivalent in their effect to any standards established and punishments imposed by the laws of the province in which the First Nation land is situated.

Marginal note:Environmental assessment regime

(3) First Nation laws respecting environmental assessment must, to the extent provided in the Framework Agreement, establish, in accordance with that Agreement, an environmental assessment regime that is applicable to all projects carried out on First Nation land that are approved, regulated, funded or undertaken by the First Nation.

45. (1) The Governor in Council may, by order, add the name of a band to the schedule if he or she is satisfied that the signing of the Framework Agreement on the band’s behalf has been duly authorized and that the Framework Agreement has been signed.

Marginal note:Coming-into-force date of land code

(2) The Minister may, by order, add to the schedule the date on which a land code comes into force with respect to First Nation lands.

Marginal note:Deletion of band name

(3) The Governor in Council may, by order, delete from the schedule the name of a First Nation and the date on which a land code comes into force with respect to the First Nation’s lands, if that First Nation is no longer subject to this Act under the terms of a land claims agreement or a self-government agreement.