Constitutional theory and the quebec secession reference sujit choudhry and robert howse 1. David raic, statehood and the law of selfdetermination, 2002, p. It sometimes brings hope to minorities that are in despair an. Reference re secession of quebec case brief quimbee. Some people that are for secession want it so they can get rid of the french language all together.
In the matter of a reference by the governor in council concerning certain ques tions relating to the secession of quebec from canada, as set out in order in. Meech lake accord 1987 charlottetown accord 1992 secession do you agree that quebec should become sovereign after having made a formal offer to canada for a new economic and political. You can search by the scc 5digit case number, by name or word in the style of cause, or by file number from the appeal court. And in the matter of a reference by the governor in council concerning certain questions relating to the secession of quebec from canada, as set out in orde r in council p. In reference re secession of quebec, nobody is accused of anything, nor is anyone being defended or taking its own defense. In the matter of section 53 of the supreme court act, r. Reference re secession of quebec jump to navigation jump to search. Each ojen landmark case includes a case summary, classroom discussion questions and activities that encourage students to explore both the legal and societal importance of the case.
Reference re secession of quebec, influential beyond its borders, has made dialogue over constitutional matters an obligation of the state and citizens. Please access a pdf of this article using the link to the left. Fall, 2000 selfdetermination of the peoples 5 through a referendum. This short article will address the two following issues. The secession reference and the limits of law opencommons. In reference re secession of quebec from canada,4 the supreme court of canada. The reference of the supreme court of canada re secession of quebec was the first time a tribunal directly addressed unilateral secession. Reference re secession of quebec probe international. Secession as a remedial right fundamentally restricts the scope of external selfdetermination to being a last resort measure for those groups that witness serious, persistent injustices. Equipo nizkor reference re secession of quebec, 1998 2 s. A summary and case brief of reference re secession of quebec, 37 i. In the matter of section 53 of the supreme court act. Constitutions treatment of secession reveals that popular sovereignty is a territorial concept.
References in this casenote are to paragraph numbers in the decision. Collective rights research paper prepared for the quebec community groups network michael n. The quebec secession reference and the poverty of theory in canadian constitutional discourse from the moment that it was handed down, the judgment of the supreme court of canada in the quebec secession reference produced a torrent of. S26 and in the matter of a reference by the governor in council concerning certain questions relating to the secession of quebec from canada, as set out in order in council p. The question of quebec sovereignty reference re secession of quebec. The secession reference and other references have become.
The quebec government chose not to participate in the decision, so andre jolicoeur was assigned as an amicus curiae by the court. It then explains why the canadian reference re secession of quebec case has limited bearing as a. Canada has let quebec vote in referendums twice 1980 and 1995. As such, they may not rely on the constitutional amendment process to achieve their goals. Under the constitution of canada, can the national assembly, legislature or government of quebec effect the secession of quebec from canada unilaterally. A total of 204 constitutions have broader references to territorial. Your use of this heinonline pdf indicates your acceptance of heinonlines. In its analysis of the question relevant to the unilateral secession of quebec.
Reference re secession of quebec case brief wiki fandom. Emerging from the lofty theoretical rhetoric of selfdetermination in political theory. Does selfdetermination entail an automatic right to. The quebec secession reference and the proposed charter of quebec values casepolicy considered. In parallel, political theory and action provide both trenchant arguments and a body of practice that support public involvement as a requisite of democratic constitution making. Document of jurisprudence concerning language rights. The author raises hypothesis that remedial right to secession as an exercise of the right. Pdf the reference re secession of quebec, the kosovo advisory. Distinct society status veto power there were two attempts to achieve these rights.
The court noted that a constitution should ensure that vulnerable. In the matter of a reference by the governor in council concerning the proposed canadian securities act, as set out in order in council p. Faced with the question of whether quebec could make a unilateral declaration of independence, the supreme court declared unanimously in this reference 1998 that such a declaration would be unconstitutional both by canadian constitutional law and international law. So the question is misleading because it implies that canada or at least the rest of canada stopped quebec from. Many international lawyers intervened in the proceedings, helping the canadian supreme court to craft a very clear judgement on this issue. Reference re secession of quebec rather than domestic law.
The quebec secession reference and the proposed charter of. Reference re secession of quebec case brief rule of law. Right to selfdetermination in in re secession of quebec. Charter of quebec values its as if pauline marois and her government knew we would be discussing the quebec secession reference case in constitutional law this week when they finally released their plans for a charter of. The reference re secession of quebec, the kosovo advisory opinion and the questions they leave open. The various international documents that support the existence of a peoples right to. In the matter of a reference by the governor in council concerning certain ques tions relating. Reference re securities act 2011 scc 66 file no 33718. The clear repudiation by the people of quebec of the existing constitutional order would confer legitimacy on demands for secession, and place an obligation on the other provinces and the federal government to.
Remedial secession is a right of peoples to separate a part of the territory from the parent state on the basis of a breach of that peoples right to selfdetermination. This page contains a form to search the supreme court of canada case information database. Canlii connects reference re secession of quebec 1998 c. Reference re securities act supreme court of canada mclachlin, c. In this particular environment, law and justice have gradually become more converging, and the theory of remedial secession began to gain ground. Click here and look near the top of the page, at the introductory paragraph made by the majority of justices in this decision, if. Constitutional theory and the quebec secession reference.
Following the close referendum result in the 1995 referendum, government of canada initiated a reference to the supreme court to question the legal issues surrounding unilateral secession. Reference re secession of quebec, 1998 2 scr 217 is a landmark judgment of the supreme. And in the matter of a reference by the governor in council concerning certain questions relating to the secession of quebec from canada, as set out in order in council p. Pdf constitutional theory and the quebec secession reference. Both times, the majority of quebecers chose to stay in canada.
Toronto star, august 22 1998 available in lexisnexis, news library, allnws file. A positive impact for all 24 lead to a standoff, not to sovereigntyassociation. Reference re secession of quebec case brief for law. Reference re secession of quebec, 1998 york university. Reference re secession of quebec the canadian encyclopedia. Reference re secession of quebec, 1998 2 scr 217 is a landmark judgment of the supreme court of canada regarding the legality, under both canadian and international law, of a unilateral secession of quebec from canada both the quebec government and the canadian government stated they were pleased with the supreme courts opinion, pointing to different sections of the ruling. The right of a people to selfdetermination cannot be said to ground a right to unilateral secession. The right to decide, the principle of stability, and the.
Rayfuse, rosemary reference re secession of quebec from. More importantly, question 2 does not ask an abstract question of pure international law but seeks to determine the legal rights and obligations of the legislature or government. Franck papers consist of a selection of his legal files relating to his involvement with two international court of justice cases. More recently, the supreme court in reference re secession of quebec emphasized the connection between section 9124 and the relationship between indigenous peoples and the federal crown. You can search by the scc 5digit case number, by name or word in. Constitutional theory and the quebec secession reference 145 of canadian constitutional law and jurisprudence based on systematic reflection concerning the relationship between constitutional adjudication and democratic politics has been, for the most. Landmark case reference re secession of quebec 2012 jen. Document of jurisprudence concerning language rights protected by the canadian charter of rights and freedom lrsp language rights support program. Constitution making and the right to take part in a public. The reference re secession of quebec, the kosovo advisory.
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