Department of Justice

MINISTER OF JUSTICE ANNOUNCES
HARMONIZATION OF FEDERAL LEGISLATION WITH
QUEBEC CIVIL LAW

Anne McLellan, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the start of a consultation process to harmonize federal legislation with Quebec civil law. The initiative will ensure that all existing federal legislation dealing with private law matters is reviewed with deliberate attention to the terminology, concepts, norms and institutions of Quebec civil law.

The harmonization initiative has three major goals:

to reaffirm the unique bijural character of Canadian federalism by making the expression of that character explicit and visible in federal legislation in both official languages;

to strengthen civil law's rightful place beside common law in the statute books of Canada; and

to ensure the terminology and concepts of federal legislation and the Quebec civil law are compatible.

Minister McLellan called the initiative "a tangible expression of our respect for Canada's dual legal heritage and, in particular, for the civil law tradition that characterizes Quebec within Canada." She added that "the harmonization initiative demonstrates that Canada's legal system, like the federal system, is always ready to evolve, responding to the needs of Canadians in a changing society."

Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Stéphane Dion also spoke at the conference. "Canada is a member of the Commonwealth and La Francophonie due to its bilingual tradition. Similarly, Canada's bijuralism constitutes a window onto the world. The Government of Canada wants to actively promote this fundamental characteristic of our country," said Minister Dion.

Ministers McLellan and Dion pointed out that Canada's bijuralism, the use of both the civil law and common law, gives Quebecers and Canadians an edge in a world where governments are actively seeking to harmonize their regulatory frameworks. This expertise will prove particularly valuable in the context of the new global economy and the increasing need for strengthened cooperation between governments.

The public consultation process was launched today in Montreal during a Conference sponsored by the Department of Justice, in cooperation with the Barreau du Québec and the Chambre des notaires du Québec.

Ref.:    Pierre Gratton      Mario Dion
         Minister's Office   Civil Law Sector
         (613) 992-4621      (613) 941-4073

         Louise Sabourin-Hébert
         Civil Code Section
         (613) 941-0375