Quebec Constitution

On January 28, 2025, Premier François Legault adjusted his cabinet and, in doing so, tasked Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette with drafting Quebec’s first constitution. Earlier, on November 10, 2024, the Quebec Liberal Party (QLP) amended its party platform to include a commitment to enshrine Anglophone rights in a new Quebec constitution. At the convention, a message was read out by former Member of Parliament for Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine and president of the Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN), Marlene Jennings:

“Not only do I think that the idea of a Quebec Constitution is an excellent one, it inspires my passions.  It would be the next step after the adoption, in 1975, of the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, of which Quebecers are so proud.

 With the proposed Quebec constitution, the rights of the English-speaking minority would be enshrined for the first time, and these rights would not be limited to the right to control their educational institutions, but in other sectors as well. 

 This is a unifying project that could rally many Quebecers.”

This now means that all parties represented in the National Assembly are committed to the prospect of such a document. The new constitution would be separate from Quebec’s existing constitutional framework, which is already defined under the “Provincial Constitutions” provisions of the British North America Act of 1867. That foundational legislation outlines certain prerogatives of provincial legislatures, which were carried over into the Canada Act of 1982.

Naturally, each party will approach a prospective Quebec constitution in line with its vision for the province’s political future. For instance, Québec solidaire (QS) views a constitution as essential infrastructure for an independent Quebec. While the Parti Québécois shares QS’s belief in independence, it has also supported adopting a constitution within Canada as an intermediary step toward sovereignty. The QLP, by contrast, is expected to regard the constitution as a foundational document for a Quebec that remains a permanent part of Canada.

The adoption of a Quebec constitution has been one of the GQM’s central policies since its founding in 1995. For further information, please see the op-eds we have published on this topic in the media section of this website.