Legislation
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Quebec law limits employers to request medical notes
About one-third of working Canadians were asked by their employers to produce a sick note for a short-term absence at least once in the last year. That will largely be a thing of the past. Continue reading
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Quebec discreetly issues directive that favours non-judicial treatment of simple drug possession
Quebec criminal lawyers have welcomed a discreet directive issued without fanfare by the provincial Minister of Justice calling on Quebec’s Crown prosecutors to weigh public interest and the risk to public safety before prosecuting people suspected of simple drug possession for personal consumption. Continue reading
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Right to data portability in effect in Quebec
Organizations doing business in Quebec face new compliance obligations as the right to data portability came into force at the tail end of September, spelling the end of a one-year leniency period following the entry into force of Quebec’s sweeping overhaul of its privacy regime. Continue reading
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In about-turn, Quebec introduces bill that imposes moratorium on certain types of evictions
Facing growing pressure, Quebec tabled a bill that would impose a three-year moratorium on certain types of evictions and increase protections for low-income senior renters. Continue reading
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Quebec bill grants protections and establishes new obligations to de facto unions
A new proposed Quebec legal framework for common-law couples who become parents after June 2025 will be entrusted with new rights and obligations, and benefit from some protections granted to married couples, a development viewed by family law experts as a step in the right direction. But Bill 56, aimed at providing a better safety… Continue reading
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Notwithstanding clause centre stage in Quebec Appeal Court ruling over controversial secularism law
The Quebec Court of Appeal, handcuffed by the provincial government’s use of the notwithstanding clause, upheld a controversial secularism law that bans religious symbols from being worn by government employees, in a decision lauded by legal observers who endorse the so-called “parliamentary sovereignty clause” while bemoaned by others who deem it to be a “major… Continue reading
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Employers’ obligation to protect psychological well-being of workers expanded by Quebec bill
The Quebec government, in an initiative welcomed by business and labour, is in the final stages of passing legislation that aims to further prevent and fight psychological harassment and sexual violence in the workplace by adding legal presumptions to make it easier to prove an employment injury or illness stemmed from violence at the hands… Continue reading
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French Language Charter draft regulations provides more clarity but questions remain
An eagerly awaited draft regulation intended to yield guidance on amendments introduced by Bill 96 to the Charter of the French Language sheds light on certain areas but raises additional questions, is more restrictive, has more onerous requirements and risks alienating some sectors of the business world, according to legal pundits. Continue reading
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Quebec access to justice bill opens door for notaries to sit on provincial court bench
An access to justice bill that will make free mediation mandatory and arbitration automatic for cases under $5,000 took the Quebec legal community by surprise as it also unexpectedly opens the door for notaries to be appointed to the bench of provincial courts. Continue reading