Patriation was the political process that led to
Canadian sovereignty, culminating in 1982. Until that date, Canada was governed by a
constitution composed of
British laws that could be changed only by
acts of the
British parliament, albeit only with the consent of the
Canadian government. The patriation process saw the provinces granted influence in constitutional matters and resulted in the constitution being amendable by Canada only and according to the
Canadian amending formula, with no role for the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Hence, patriation is associated with the acquisition of full sovereignty.