In a series of tweets of great firmness, the Premier of Quebec, François Legault, criticized his counterpart in Ottawa for leading “a frontal attack against the ability of our nation to protect our collective rights”.
This is a response to an interview given by the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, to The Press. Trudeau mentions that he plans to turn to the Supreme Court to further regulate the use of the notwithstanding provision, enshrined in the Constitution.
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1/4 Justin Trudeau said in an interview that he wants the Supreme Court to limit the power of the provinces and Quebec to use the notwithstanding clause.
— Francois Legault (@francoislegault) January 21, 2023
Better known as the “notwithstanding clause”, this provision allows a provincial or federal government to exempt a law from any legal remedy within five years of its adoption, even if it does not respect certain rights guaranteed by the Charter. rights and freedoms.
The Legault government notably used this clause to have its State Secularism Act, or “Bill 21”, adopted.
François Legault added on Twitter that he vigorously opposed Justin Trudeau’s intentions: “It is up to the National Assembly to decide the laws that govern us as a nation. Quebec will never accept such a weakening of its rights. Never ! »
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