A broad coalition of legal experts and human rights organizations announced on Tuesday its intention to formally request that the United Nations launch an emergency investigation into the Quebec government's proposed constitution. The groups argue that Bill 1, the Quebec Constitution Act, 2025, infringes on fundamental rights and violates international legal principles.
Legal Experts Condemn Closed-Door Process
The controversial bill was introduced last month by Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette and is set for National Assembly hearings beginning this week. It has drawn sharp criticism from a wide array of quarters, including opposition parties, constitutional lawyers, Quebec's bar association, academics, and universities.
Stéphane Beaulac, a law professor at the Université de Montréal and Quebec vice president of the International Commission of Jurists Canada, spearheaded the announcement. He condemned the bill's development process, stating it was crafted "behind closed doors, without any prior public consultation, with no groups from society involved, and in violation of the basic principles applicable to any constitutional process."
Core Allegations of Rights Violations
The coalition's central charge is that the proposed constitution systematically undermines protected rights. Professor Beaulac outlined three primary concerns during the press conference:
- The bill violates the rights of minorities.
- It infringes on the rights of Indigenous peoples.
- It "violates core guarantees of this essential principle of governance known as the rule of law."
A significant point of contention is the bill's prioritization of collective rights. "Placing collective rights—even those of a majority of the population—above the rights of individuals, minorities, and Indigenous peoples, effectively denies the very foundations of universal human rights," Beaulac argued. He connected this to the post-World War II legacy codified in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Broad Support for UN Challenge
The effort to bring the issue before the UN has garnered support from a diverse group of organizations and prominent individuals. Key supporters include:
- The Ligue des droits et libertés
- Amnesty International
- Lawyers without Borders Canada
- The Association des juristes progressistes
- The International Indian Treaty Council
- Senator Michèle Audette
- Chief Jean-Charles Piétacho of the Innu community of Ekuanitshit
This move represents a significant escalation in the opposition to the Coalition Avenir Québec's (CAQ) constitutional project, framing it not just as a domestic political issue but as a potential matter of international human rights law. The planned UN appeal underscores the profound divisions the bill has created within Quebec society and the legal community.
