Canadian Online Legal Dictionary

Without jurisdiction or authority.

Beyond lawful authority. A statute is ultra vires, and therefore invalid, if Canada's Constitution Act does not authorize the legislature that passed it to legislate on that matter. Regulations too may be ultra vires the statute they are made under. The opposite is intra vires, within lawful authority.

Literally means, "beyond the powers." A person who acts ultra vires, acts outside the scope of her authority.