Links
BAR ASSOCIATIONS
The Barreau du Québec is the professional association of Quebec lawyers. It maintains and promotes the skills of practicing lawyers and also receives complaints, makes inquiries concerning lawyers’ misconduct, and handles cases brought against the latter before the Barreau’s disciplinary committee.
COURTS AND TRIBUNALS
Its site makes the justice system even more accessible and in so doing helps bring ordinary citizens closer to the judicial apparatus. It includes a variety of elements likely to promote awareness of the organization, functioning and mission of the Court of Quebec.
The Superior Court, Quebec’s common law court, is seized in the first instance, or sometimes on appeal, of all cases that do not explicitly come under the authority of another court or organization. In concrete terms, this means civil and commercial cases involving $70,000 or more; administrative, family and even bankruptcy disputes; criminal cases before a jury; and, lastly, appeals with respect to summary proceedings.
The Court of Appeal is Quebec’s highest court. Its vocation is different from that of other Canadian courts of appeal in that it protects the integrity and development of Quebec’s civil law system. It is the court of last resort in 99 percent of all cases.
The Quebec Administrative Tribunal is a “one-stop service” enabling citizens to resolve legal disputes with the civil service, involving any number of sectors of activity, more easily and quickly.
The Supreme Court of Canada is the country’s highest court. It is the ultimate appeals jurisdiction, the last court that the parties to a trial, whether individuals or governments, can address. Its jurisdiction includes both Quebec civil law and the common law of the other provinces and territories.
GLOBALAW
GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS
The main mandate of the Council is to promote efficiency, uniformity and quality in the Canadian judiciary.
The Commission administers An Act respecting access to documents held by public bodies and the protection of personal information and is also in charge of applying An Act Respecting the Protection of Personal Information in the Private Sector.
Commission de la protection du territoire agricole du Québec (Quebec Farmland Protection Commission)
The mandate of the Commission is to guarantee that future generations will receive land suited for the exercise and development of agricultural activities.
The Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CSST) is the body entrusted by the Quebec government to administer the occupational health and safety plan. Most notably, it oversees the application of the following :
-
An Act Respecting Occupational Health and Safety, designed to eliminate, at their very source, all dangers to the health, safety and physical integrity of workers; and
-
An Act respecting industrial accidents and occupational diseases, designed to provide compensation for occupational injuries and their consequences for workers, and to collect from employers the sums required to fund the plan.
The mission of the Commission is to encourage the promotion of and respect for human rights in Quebec.
The Commission de lésions professionnelles is the administrative tribunal of last resort petitioned by workers and employers contesting a CSST decision.
The Commission municipale du Québec is an independent governmental body specializing in the municipal field. Its mission includes acting as an expert, a decision maker or an adjudicator in matters of territorial organization, supralocal facilities, property and business tax exemptions for non-profit organizations, trusteeship, price setting, and inquiries, all from a perspective of the effectiveness and efficiency of municipal administrations.
L’inspecteur général des institutions financières (Inspector General of Financial Institution, or IGIF)
The activities of the Inspector General of Financial Institutions have been taken over by two organizations since February 1, 2004.
-
The Registraire des enterprises (Quebec enterprises registrar, or REQ) is in charge of the company component: www.req.gouv.qc.ca.
-
The Autorité des marchés financiers (financial market authority) is in charge of supervising and monitoring the financial institutions component:
The role of the Quebec Ombudsman is to monitor and ensure the correction of negligence, errors, injustices and abuses by Quebec government ministries, bodies and organizations.
The mandate of the Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs is to protect the independence of judges and to guarantee them all the autonomy required in relation to the Federal Department of Justice. It must also promote the administration of justice in Canada and support the federal judiciary. This site has been designed to inform the largest possible number of Canadians as to the role and activities of the Office in Canadian legal affairs.
GOVERNMENTS
Provides access to all the organizations and bodies making up the Canadian government apparatus.
Gateway to all ministries, organizations and bodies making up the Quebec government.
LAW AND REGULATIONS
This act came into force in 1982 and applies, in its current form, to documents held by a public body during the exercise of its functions, whether the documents are kept by the public body or a third party.
This act came into force in 1985 and establishes a compensation plan for occupational injuries and diseases. It provides for the payment of benefits (if necessary), health care, rehabilitation assistance, etc.
The act, in its current form, is designed to establish specific rules concerning personal information about another that an individual gathers, holds, uses or communicates to a third party during the running of a company.
Adopted in 1979, this act deals above and beyond all else with the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases. By way of the act, the CSST (Quebec Worker’s Compensation Board) was created and its various mandates were allocated.
Direct access to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
LAW LIBRARIES
LEGAL DATABASE
Université de Montréal’s Centre de recherche en droit public is Canada’s largest legal research centre.
ORGANIZATIONS AND BODIES
Éducaloi is a non-profit organization with the mandate to answer Quebecers’ questions concerning matters of law.
Québec municipal is a Web portal linking members of the municipal community (ministries, municipalities, regional county municipalities, urban communities, associations, and other municipal organizations) in order to facilitate information and service exchanges and to carry out transactions.
The SOQUIJ looks after the promoting of research, as well as the processing and developing of legal information.
STOCK EXCHANGES
The System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) developed by the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA)
