Order of precedence

Overview

The Ontario order of precedence sets out the seating or speaking order of dignitaries and government officials for:

• provincial ceremonies
• special events

In certain circumstances, the Table of Precedence of Canada or international rules of protocol may be observed. This includes at functions where federal, foreign or diplomatic dignitaries are present, giving these dignitaries precedence over certain provincial categories.

Ontario order of precedence

1. Lieutenant governor of Ontario or the Administrator
2. Premier of Ontario
3. Chief Justice of Ontario
4. Former lieutenant governors of Ontario, with relative precedence among them governed by the date of their leaving office
5. Former premiers of Ontario, with relative precedence among them governed by the dates of their first assumption of office
6. Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
7. Heads of accredited diplomatic missions in Ottawa with relative precedence to be determined by the date they present their credentials to the Governor General of Canada
8. Members of the Executive Council of Ontario, in accordance with the precedence document issued by the Cabinet Office
9. Leader of the Official Opposition
10. Members of the Privy Council for Canada resident in Ontario
11. Chief Justice of the Superior Court of Justice
12. Associate Chief Justice of Ontario
13. Associate Chief Justice of the Superior Court of Justice
14. Chief Justice and the Associate Chief Justices of the Ontario Court of Justice
15. Judges of the Ontario Court of Appeal
16. Judges of the Superior Court of Justice
17. Members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario with precedence governed by the date of their first election to the Legislature
18. Either:
    1. Members of the Senate who represent Ontario with relative precedence among them determined by the date of appointment
    2. Members of the House of Commons who represent Ontario constituencies with relative precedence among them determined by the date of election, and alphabetically for those elected at the same election
19. Heads of religious denominations
20. Heads of consular post with jurisdiction in the Province of Ontario with precedence governed by date of exequatur
21. Judges of the Ontario Court of Justice
22. Either:
    1. Chair of the host regional municipality (where applicable)
    2. Host mayor
23. Either:
    1. Other chairs of regional municipalities (where applicable)
    2. Other mayors with relative precedence governed by the date of appointment or election to office
    3. Indigenous leaders: Chiefs of First Nations in Ontario
24. Either:
    1. Deputy ministers, with precedence governed by date of appointment
    2. Other Ontario Public Service officials with the rank and status of deputy ministers, with precedence governed by date of appointment

Contact us

For help with determining order of speakers, please contact OIRP at:

OIRP.info@ontario.ca

Office of International Relations and Protocol
Whitney Block, Suite 5520
99 Wellesley Street West
Toronto, Ontario
M7A 1A1