bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
La photocopie et le droit d'auteur au Canada
Authors: Nabhan Victor
Published: July 2012

This paper analyses the legal implications of photocopying with regard to the Copyright Act of Canada. Under the law, photocopying is normally illegal, unless it amounts to « fair dealing ». However, this latter exception, at best ambiguous, does not provide a safe shelter under which some of the most common practices could be condoned. In fact, what falls in the scope of the « fair dealing » provision remains a most debatable matter.

From these considerations stems the urgency of a change in the law. Parliament should insert a provision delineating in a practical way the sphere of lawful photocopying. On the other hand, copyright owners should be compensated for the use made of their works and collective mechanisms should be created for the recovery of such compensation.
L'actionnaire de facto sous la Loi des corporations commerciales canadiennes
Authors: Demers Robert
Published: July 2012

The right of a de facto shareholder under the Canada Business Corporations Act of becoming a registered holder is specifically dealt with under the statute. Who can be considered as such, however, is not so clear and the rules of common law have to be considered in this context. The basis of de facto relationships in corporate law can be found in the doctrine of estoppel by conduct and the theory of the implied contract. In civil law, as estoppel is unknown, the only foundation left for such a rule is the implied contract. The following note examines these various points from the vista of civilian concepts.
L'« affaire des omelettes » et ses conséquences sur le partage des compétences législatives en matière de taxation et de commerce
Authors: Bourque Denis
Published: July 2012

The Supreme Court of Canada has recently rendered judgment in what has come to be known as the Omelet Case. The Court was called upon to rule on the constitutionality of several provisions in federal and Ontario law, the purpose of which was to set up a plan for the marketing of eggs in Canada.

The plan provided for a levy on producers and had as its objectives the attribution to each province of a share of the national market for eggs, and the setting of production quotas within each province as regards its part of the market. Such quotas were to be set in an identical manner for all producers, whether they be engaged in intraprovincial, inter provincial, or export trade. The province of Ontario also provided for the imposition of quotas as to the means of production, particularly as to the number of domestic hens a producer could possess.

This paper shows how the distribution of legislative powers in respect of taxation and commerce is affected by the Supreme Court's decision. It is suggested that the Court has completely abandoned the doctrine of the Crystal Dairy case, in which the Privy Council had ruled that the levying of fees on producers was a matter of taxation. The paper also outlines the consequences of certain remarks by Chief Justice Laskin on the spending power of Parliament.

The paper then discusses the reticence of certain members of the Court to approve the measures adopted by Ontario concerning the control of means of production. Such reticence illustrates the difficulties faced by the Court when trying to define or identify which measures can be adopted by the provinces, within the framework of agricultural marketing plans, without encroaching upon federal jurisdiction over interprovincial trade under subs. 91(2) of the BNA Act.

Finally, the paper attempts to show how the scope of s. 121 of the BNA Act is limited by the ruling that it cannot hamper federal regulation of interprovincial trade under subs. 91(2). This latest decision confirms the broadening of the scope of subs. 91(2), already apparent in the Caloil case and the Manitoba Egg reference. The strenghtening of subs. 91(2) may imply that s. 121 will be applied differently, according to whether federal or provincial legislation is involved.
Projet de loi no 69 — Loi modifiant la Loi de la qualité de l'environnement
Authors: Giroux Lorne
Published: July 2012

The following commentary discusses two aspects of Bill 69, an Act to Amend the Environmental Quality Act focusing on the concept of citizen participation as embodied in the Bill and the new environmental impact assesment procedures set up in the proposed amendments. It deplores the fact that, as proposed, the amending act would leave too much discretion with the Minister of the environment in deciding to allow public hearings in the processes. The author also regrets that the important questions relating to the environmental assesment procedure are left to be determined by the rulemaking authority of the government thus thwarting a serious discussion of their scope and seriousness.
L'article 4 du Statut de Westminster et la souveraineté du Canada
Authors: Sormany Louis
Published: July 2012

The object of this paper is to inquire whether s. 4 of the Statute of Westminster, considered as an ordinary statutory provision, really constitutes a legally binding assurance that the Parliament of the United Kingdom may not pass laws for Canada without the latter's consent.

In its first part, the paper discusses the validity of such an Act intended for application in Canada, that would not contain the declaration contemplated in s. 4. This is examined in reference to the principle of Parliamentary sovereignty and to the question as to the capacity of Parliament to bind itself for the future. The conclusion reached is that, because Canadian courts could treat s. 4 as an entrenched clause binding upon the United Kingdom Parliament, such an Act could be ruled invalid.

The paper then discusses the case of a United Kingdom Act containing a declaration that Canada has requested and consented to such legislation, while in fact Canadian initiative or acquiescence would be lacking. The conclusion there is that s. 4, whether considered in isolation or together with the Preamble to the Statute, would not warrant a ruling of invalidity by Canadian courts. In particular, allegations of error or fraud in the passing of the Act would not make it invalid.

The general conclusion is therefore that s. 4 does not really constitute a legally binding assurance that the United Kingdom Parliament may not pass laws for Canada without the latter's consent.

While the legal issue discussed in this paper may seem academic, since the British Parliament was never, since 1931, attempted to pass laws intended for application in Canada without the latter's consent, it throws an interesting light on the foundations of Canadian sovereignty. The paper suggests that such sovereignty seems to be based at least as much on constitutional convention than on s. 4 of the Statute of Westminster.
Consultations populaires québécoises et référendums fédéraux
Authors: Brun Henri , Tremblay Guy
Published: July 2012

This article expresses criticism about, and makes comparisons between, Quebec's new legislation on referenda and the federal bill (not yet adopted) on the same subject.

The authors' claim is that the most commonly heard comments about these legislative pieces seem to miss the most important target. The limitations and controls of referendum expenses, prescribed by the Quebec Act and loudly denounced by the opposition, on the whole seem preferable to the lightly hidden laxity of the federal bill. On the other hand, in both cases the general inadequacy of the means of control makes the referendum process a very powerful weapon in the hands of governments. These new pieces of legislation give much to the governments, little to the people.
Les premières institutions municipales au Québec ou « machines à taxer »
Authors: L’Heureux Jacques
Published: July 2012

The first general municipal institutions in Quebec were adopted by the Special Council in 1840 when Governor Sydenham found that the Act of Union did not make provision for them.

These institutions included local corporations — parishes and townships — and regional corporations — the districts. Parishes and townships had very few powers. Districts had limited powers on local matters. All municipal corporations had little autonomy and were under the strict control of the Governor. Nevertheless, their creation was bound to lead to more important and more autonomous municipal institutions.

French Canadians were opposed to these institutions, partly because they seemed to belong to the set of post-Rebellion measures such as the union of the two Canadas and the setting up of the Special Council, and partly because the new municipal corporations had the power to levy taxes. Their opposition succeeded in paralysing these institutions, which were replaced by new ones in 1845.
Les ordonnances de dédommagement et de restitution en droit pénal canadien
Authors: Gagné Jacques
Published: July 2012

This paper examines the constitutional law issue raised before the Supreme Court of Canada in the case of R. v. Anne Zelensky and the T. Eaton Co. Ltd. and the Attorney General of Canada, decided on May 1, 1978. Having discussed the judgment of the Manitoba Court of Appeal, the author proceeds to support the majority decision of the Supreme Court, as expressed by the Chief Justice, viz. that the provision for compensation orders in subsection 653(1) of the Criminal Code is intra vires the federal Parliament as part of the sentencing process.

The paper then proceeds to draw a comparison between compensation orders under subsection 653(1) and probation orders under paragraph 663(2) e) of the same Code. Differences in the nature of these two classes of orders are brought out.

In view of the limited scope for application of subsection 653(1) the author suggests a number of legislative changes. These changes would remove all the constitutional difficulties inherent in the present drafting of the subsection. They would also fashion a more efficient instrument for compensating victims of crime, while preserving the original purpose of rehabilitating the offender.
Vers la systématisation des lois québécoises
Authors: Issalys Pierre
Published: July 2012

The object of this paper is to suggest means whereby the body of statute law could be rearranged into a systematic whole.

The concept of a system of statutes is first defined and contrasted with the concept of codification. Systematization is presented as involving two stages. First, a classification grid is obtained by grouping statutes under a number of broad headings according to their subject-matter. Second, within each group the various statutory provisions are ranked and possibly rearranged according to the scope of their application within the field covered by the group of statutes as a whole. While statutes retain individual existence, logical links between them are made more explicit.

The concept is then applied experimentally to a group of 23 Québec statutes dealing with the provincial Cabinet and the organization of government departments. Proposals are thus made for a new Government Organization Act and new statutes setting up each of the departments.

The paper then considers extending the process of systematization to a larger group including all statutes setting up agencies of the Québec government (administrative tribunals, regulatory boards, Crown corporations, etc.). This, it is suggested, could lead to the adoption by stages of a Code of Government Organization.

Finally, the paper examines the requirements of the systematization of statutes as to legislative draftsmanship, legislative policy, and the legislative process. It argues for the need for a new agency with responsibility to advise the government on draft legislation and to carry out the systematization of groups of statutes on request from the National Assembly.
Langage et système des lois suisses
Authors: Dessemontet François
Published: July 2012

This paper addresses the issue of a systematic approach to the drafting of legislation, in the light of Swiss experience.

Starting from a brief survey of inflationary tends in the production of Legislative material, the author brings out the mutually reinforcing interplay between these tends and a widening lack of consensus about the contents and enforceability of legislation. While such factors hardly favour systematic lawmaking, a number of institutional features in the Swiss federal legislative process help maintain the quality of legislative instruments — namely the very length of the process, the bicameralism, the plurality of official languages, and the subjection of laws to the referendum procedure.

Further, the practice of Swiss Legislators shows concern for the preservation of systematic unity. Thus, the federal department of Justice has devised a set of Principles of legislative drafting, supplemented by a checklist that can be applied to any draft legislative instrument. In a number fields where lawmaking authority vests in the cantons rather than in the Confederation, federal authorities have drafted model laws in the hope of promoting uniformity between cantonal legislation. In.other fields, where law-making authority has been given to the Confederation, federal legislation has sometimes been limited to a basic law, containing broad provisious only leaving details to be filled in by each of the cantons. The technique of codification, by contrast, has not been resorted to since the major achievements in civil and criminal law during the first half of this century.

Finally, Swiss legislative draftsmen, both federal and cantonal, have been concerned lately with the improvement of drafting and style, as is shown by the recent spread of guidelines, instructions and even laws on the subject.
La stéréophonie législative, facteur de haute infidélité ?
Authors: Sparer Michel
Published: July 2012

The object of this paper is to underline the inherent difficulty of expressing a single legislative intent in two languages.

A number of basic issues concerning the translation of legal documents generally, and of statutes in particular, are formulated. These issues have been brought into sharp focus by divergent judicial interpretations of instruments drafted in French and referring to a civilian legal and cultural background.

The practice of bilingual legislation is then considered. Reference is made to recent efforts at improving the French version of federal statutes. The need for, or usefulness of bilingual legislation is critically examined. Anglophone reactions to French unilingual legislation in Québec are explained in terms of adherence to the traditional English style of legislative drafting. However, it is pointed out that common lawyers may be looking with increasing interest at the attributes of clarity, simplicity and logic associated with the civilian style of drafting.
L'informatique juridique : en progression vers un processus d'intelligence artificielle
Authors: Goulet Jean
Published: July 2012

This paper deals primarily with computer-assisted legal research. It attempts to sketch the current state of the art, mainly in the United States and Canada, with special reference to systems oriented towards the processing of legislative data. The author suggests a checklist of the main requirements the systems of the 80's will have to answer to, in order to fulfill the growing needs of the new computer-minded generations of law graduates.

Along these lines, this paper deals also with the second generation systems dedicated to automated legal research ; these could be expected to show some form, albeit elementary, of humanlike intelligence. Four prototypes of such systems are considered; they are the American Bar Foundation's and Jeffrey Meldman's systems, as well as the well-known JUDITH and TAXMAN systems.

The paper concludes on a glimpse of the Third Wave of computerized legal research, in the belief that the legal profession will meet the challenge of the computer age, will learn to live and work with this new technology, and will master the artificial but sometimes acute intelligence of our new friend, the Robot.
L'inconstitutionnalité des pouvoirs du protonotaire spécial
Authors: Bouchard Serge , Lavigne Marie-Michèle , Renauld Pascal
Published: July 2012

The office of special prothonotary was created in 1975 by an amendment to the Code of Civil Procedure. The main purpose of the change was to ease the administration of justice before the courts. For this reason, the special prothonotary received many assignments which were reserved until then to a judge sitting in chambers and even to the court itself.

Such transfer of duties and powers may conflict with section 96 of the BNA Act, which acts as a bar to prevent the withdrawal of judicial functions from a superior, county or district court.

This paper deals with the interferences between various sections of the Code of Civil Procedure and section 96 of the BNA Act.

The first part of the paper deals with the approach adopted by the courts. The true test, according to the case-law, is to determine the nature of the function involved. Since only judicial functions are protected by section 96, it is intravires the Legislature of Quebec to confer on a board or tribunal administrative or ministerial powers.

If the transfer involves judicial functions, the courts will use the test adopted by the Privy Council in Labour Relations Board of Saskatchewan v. John East Iron Works and by Sir Lyman Duff in In re Adoption Act, and examine whether the transferee is analogous to a superior, district or county court.

The courts will also have to apply the « 1867 statute books test » : was the particular function conferred to the prothonotary before 1867 ?

If the results of each of the two tests are affirmative, then the function is one protected by section 96 of the BNA Act and its transfer is ultra vires the provincial Legislature.

If the results are negative, the courts will examine if the provisions involved have the effect of vesting in the special prothonotary the powers of a superior court judge. If the courts conclude that it is so, then, the assignment is ultra vires the powers of the provincial Legislature.

The second part deals with each of the assignments transferred to the special prothonotary. These are threefold in nature:

1. Actions by default to appear or by default to plead under article 195 C.C.P. ;

2. Jurisdiction under article 44.1(1) C.C.P. ;

3. Interlocutory or incidental proceedings, contested or not, but, if so, with the consent of the parties.

The paper concludes that most of the provisions dealing with the duties and powers of the special prothonotary are unconstitutional
Le Québec à l'heure de la réforme du droit des sociétés (compagnies) ou le législateur schizophrène
Authors: Giguère Marc
Published: July 2012

How can two parts (1 and 1A) of a same statute (Quebec Compagnies Act) be of a such a different spirit and at the same time complementary (part 1A needs part I to be complete and effective) and serve for years and years without the risk of severe distorsions and misleading solutions ?
Homosexualité et droits à l'égalité dans les Chartes canadienne et québécoise
Authors: Duplé Nicole
Published: July 2012

To what extent may a person be discriminated against within the purview of a federal or Quebec law because of his or her homosexuality ? The author attempts to answer this question in the light of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms. Those two documents make up two distinct sources against discrimination. The question as to whether section 15 of the Canadian Charter prohibits distinctions based upon homosexuality is examined in the first part of the article. The second part focuses on the nature and scope of the right of the homosexual person to complete equality under the Quebec Charter.
Le droit à la vie privée des personnes homosexuelles
Authors: Goreham Richard A.
Published: July 2012

This paper examines the idea of personal privacy and how the law has responded to expectations that it be adequately protected. The legal protection of personal privacy is evaluated in light of the concerns of homosexual persons that information about their sexual orientation remain confidential. Although individual privacy is a notion that can be used to argue for a sphere of individual freedom, in the sense that adult individuals should be free of government restriction on how they express themselves sexually in private, this paper focuses on privacy insofar as it relates to the undesired disclosure of information about a person's private life. This is privacy as secrecy, a concept which is concerned with the degree to which we are prepared to allow people to live their lives free from the intrusive prying of others.

Whether the idea of breach of privacy as giving rise to civil responsibility has evolved under tort law is reviewed in the common law of both Canada and the United States. The inadequacy of the common law in protecting a general right to privacy has led to the adoption of a number of provincial statutes which create an invasion of privacy tort, and the importance of these in potentially protecting the privacy of homosexual persons is examined. The recognition of a general right to privacy under the Quebec Civil Code and its reinforcement by provisions in the Quebec Charter of Rights and Freedoms completes the analysis of civil remedies for breach of privacy in Canada. For comparative purposes, the development of the « private facts tort » in the American legal system is explored and commented.

Informational privacy as it relates to the collection, storage and use of personal information by governments constitutes the focus of part 3 of this paper. It assesses the dangers inherent in the use and storage of personal information by governments in both Canada and the U.S.A. The recognition of the potential for abuse has resulted in the adoption of Privacy Acts in both countries at the federal level and, with respect to Canada, in the province of Quebec. Such legislation seeks to answer the twin preoccupations of when government institutions are justified in collecting and using personal information and when they are justified in disclosing it. These questions are of considerable importance to homosexual persons and this is emphasized in the analysis.

Views on the relationship between privacy and social tolerance are offered in the conclusion to the paper.
Le défi
Authors: Trudeau Pierre Elliot
Published: July 2012

This speech was given by the Prime Minister at the closing banquet of the Conference on the Reform of Federal Institutions in Quebec on March 30, 1984.

He suggested that Reform is desirable because Canadian Federalism is capable of evolution and renewal. Canada needs institutions in which a national consensus on its fundamental options can be developed frankly and openly. The federal government's representativeness and its authority to speak and act in the name of all regions and of all Canadians must be strengthened.

The proposed reform of the Upper House conducted by the Special joint Committee on Senate Reform indicates that provinces and regions should be represented adequately, not the provincial governments. These governments, because regional interests were not perceived to be adequately represented within the federal institutions, have had a tendency to present themselves as the only legitimate representatives of the regions.

The idea of a second chamber elected directly by the people would enhance the independence and authority of senators in their role as regional representative.

Mr. Trudeau indicates that the institutionalization of federal-provincial conferences ought to be looked at with the aim of harmonizing the policies of the two orders of government. This should establish coordination and effective management in areas of shared jurisdiction.
Entre le changement et l'indiscipline
Authors: Roy Jean-Louis
Published: July 2012

In this article the author presents a view on federal-provincial relations which he sees as characterized by constant change and a lack of discipline both of which have recently resulted in a degradation of the system itself.

Hence, there is a need to return to a reasonable level of predictability in federal-provincial relations which may be characterized by moderation. Roy points out that English Canada and Quebec are not mutually exclusive societies and there exists a variety of mechanisms which could contribute to common understanding.

As publisher of the daily « Le Devoir », Roy points out that his paper was staunchly opposed to the Constitutional Law of 1982. Yet, due to the majority of Quebecers who rejected the sovereignty option as well as the recent ruling on a veto prerogative for Quebec, a new outlook must be adopted.

Quebec must ask itself three questions. First, has it given sufficient consideration to the existence of its various partners ? Secondly, could Quebec be moving too fast towards its goals ? Thirdly, has Quebec capitalized on all the positive elements in its relationships ?

The author concludes by affirming that regardless of other elements, Quebec and Canada have the obligation to negotiate with their neighbors
Du modèle australien au modèle canadien
Authors: Pelletier Réjean
Published: July 2012

In recent years, many political analysts as well as the Special Joint Committee on the Reform of the Senate have been proposing the Australian system as a model for the reform of the Canadian Senate. Some of the proposals of the Joint Committee, and their implications, are discussed here, particularly proposals concerning how senators are elected, duration of their mandate, and the powers of the Senate. One important problem about an elected Senate is that the senators might rapidly become more preoccupied with party lines than with an adequate representation of regional interests.
Effectivité et ineffectivité des décisions de justice en matière matrimoniale : un exemple d'ineffectivité totale, le non-paiement de pensions alimentaires
Authors: Deleury Édith
Published: July 2012

The problem of non payment of maintenance orders has been widely recognized in many jurisdictions. It has attracted a considerable body of applied research and programm development. After reviewing, with statistical data, the ineffectiviness of Court enforcement procedures, the author analyzes the reasons for non enforcement and the remedies which have been adopted in the Province of Quebec. The author distinguishes between what she calls preventive remedies, collecting and penalties. Lastly, she concludes that the problem goes far beyond the law and that a re-thinking of the issues involved, particularly at the economic level, remains a necessity.
Le secret professionnel inscrit dans la Charte des droits et libertés de la personne au Québec
Authors: Vallières Nicole
Published: July 2012

Professional secrecy is expressly defined in section 9 of the Québec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms. Hence, the substance of this section acquires major importance and an analysis of it must precede any other procedure. Professional secrecy as described therein is a right vested in the person and as such, is an obligation that all professionals governed by the law must respect. This right originates in the professional relationship and only concerns the confidential content of information disclosed at that time. Lastly, the professional's duty to discretion may be suspended by a specific statutory provision without there being an express need to derogate therefrom in the Charter of Rights.
La Constitution canadienne et la protection des minorités ethniques
Authors: Woehrling José
Published: July 2012

Canada's international obligations for protecting minorities imply non discrimination and the establishment of means for allowing minorities to preserve and perpetuate their national characteristics. The author deals with the scope and role of the Canadian Charter in recognizing the value of « multiculturalism. » He presents the various obstacles that lay in the way of exercising the right to multiculturalism such as the financial cost for achieving it and the principle of « territoriality. »
Jurilinguistique et lexicographie. Une première canadienne : le Dictionnaire de droit privé
Authors: Gémar Jean-Claude
Published: July 2012

For historic reasons — legal traditions, language issues and lawyers' inhibitions — there has never been an authoritative, monolingual French legal dictionary in Canada. Since the publication in 1985 of the first edition of the Dictionnaire de droit privé by the Quebec Research Centre on Private and Comparative Law, this gap is now being filled. The interdisciplinary team engaged in this far-reaching lexicographic project is comprised of both legal and linguistic experts. Problems arising from the interaction of the French and English legal traditions in Canada are discussed. This paper outlines the principles and methods involved, derived primarily from a Canadian-based jurilinguistics, and the uses to which they are put.
Une épistémologie du droit : L'État providence de François Ewald
Authors: Morissette Yves-Marie
Published: July 2012

When scholarly research in law confines itself to source materials, it effectively allows positive law to prescribe the limits of the intellectual enquiry. When it does not so confine itself, scholarly research gradually erases as it progresses the boundary between the object of its own enquiry and that of other disciplines in the human sciences. In the author's view, if ultimately law is to be seen as more than standardized common sense armed with a big stick, it must become responsive, from within, to the findings of these disciplines. But this process of integration raises serious methodological difficulties. Their solution, assuming there is one, will draw on epistemology and a reexamination of the relationship between law and knowledge. One recent and most commendable contribution to legal epistemology is François Ewald's L'Étatprovidence. The author, a philosopher, sets out to explain how the fundamental rationality of the French legal system was transformed at the beginning of the XXth century. Having first described the respective functions of law, morality and benevolence in the post revolutionary liberal model, Ewald then shows how probability theory made possible the development of statistics, modern sociology and « insurance technology ». The advent of a workmen's compensation scheme, a result of these developments, marked an epistemological breaking point French private law. From then onwards, the order of distributive justice never ceased to expand: risk became the rule and fault the exception. The change is now irreversible and the modern Welfare State has created its own original brand of justice. Michel Foucault's influence is often noticeable in L'État providence, a complex but fascinating book which illustrates why philosophy, legal scholarship and law, although capable of sharing certain outlooks, must forever remain distinct.
Duquet Revisited
Authors: Grey Julius H.
Published: July 2012

En 1977, l'arrêt Duquet c. Ville de Ste-Agathe-des-Monts a réduit radicalement le formalisme qui entourait jusque-là au Québec l'octroi du jugement déclaratoire sur requête. Suite à Duquet, d'autres arrêts de la Cour suprême ont contribué à accentuer ce mouvement et, certainement en droit public, le recours au jugement déclaratoire est devenu une simple option, dont l'emploi ne devrait pas pouvoir influencer le sort d'un litige.

Cette évolution doit être placée dans le contexte d'un abandon presque total des anciens recours qui compliquaient et rendaient pratiquement aléatoire notre droit administratif. Cependant, on doit remarquer une réticence, de la part de plusieurs juges, à accepter sans réserve les conséquences de Duquet. Le pouvoir d'annuler des lois ou des règlements fait parfois l'objet de restrictions. Les mots "intérêts immédiats", de l'article 453 du Code, reçoivent parfois une interprétation restrictive, et même l'absence d'une "difficulté réelle", dans un sens étroit et technique, peut présenter un danger. Ces tendances sont loin d'être universelles, mais elles peuvent avoir pour résultat d'engendrer chez les avocats une méfiance qui reléguerait l'article 453 à la dernière place parmi tous les recours, alors que le juge Pigeon, dans Duquet, avait souhaité qu'il soit "largement applicable".

Le but de cette note est de démontrer qu'il n'existe aucune raison, qu'elle soit purement juridique ou pratique, défavoriser de nouvelles restrictions à l'octroi du jugement déclaratoire : Duquet devrait être accepté dans son sens le plus large.
The Need for a Common Perception of Human Rights in a World of Diversity: A Canadian Perspective
Authors: Ratushny Ed
Published: July 2012

La force juridique et morale des instruments relatifs aux droits de l'homme dépend en grande partie d'un consensus quant à la signification de ces droits. Sur le plan international, ce consensus est des plus difficiles à réaliser en raison des différences idéologiques, économiques, culturelles et religieuses. Peut-on dans un tel contexte concevoir que les droits de l'homme véhiculent des valeurs universelles ?

Au niveau du droit interne, la classification des droits de l'homme et le degré de protection accordée à chaque catégorie de droits, individuels, collectifs, économiques et sociaux, traduit la nécessité de tenir compte de réalités concrètes spécifiques.

L'auteur examine l'approche canadienne des droits de l'homme et les grandes étapes ayant marqué la reconnaissance de ces droits avant qu'ils ne soient consacrés constitutionnellement. Enfin, l'auteur situe les grandes catégories de droits humains dans le contexte canadien et porte un jugement de valeur quant au degré de protection qui leur est respectivement accordée.
Les rôles respectifs de l'État et du citoyen
Authors: Oreja Marcelio
Published: July 2012

At first glance, national sovereignty and the respect of Human Rights seem, since the first is unachievable without detriment to the second, irréconciliable.

When a country binds itself through an international agreement to respect Human Rights it may still violate these accords with impunity by hiding behind the sacred principle of non-interference, a precept often invoked by other countries to justify their passivity.

For the author, this pessimistic view does not, however, take into consideration the fact that evolution in the safeguards to human rights has only come about with the consent of sovereign nations.

There are few countries in the world today who flagrantly disregard Human Rights without feeling the need to justify themselves. It may now be said that there is a beginning of virtue in the reality of international relations.

There may certainly exist conflict between the exercice of sovereignty and the respect of Human Rights, but in democratic countries, this does not constitute an absolute paradox. It is the responsibility of the people governed to make good their rights by exerting the necessary pressure on their government when it does not have a tendency to liberalize its policies. This is because, in the end, Human Rights do not belong to the State but to the people.
Ordre du droit et droit de l'ordre
Authors: Zylberberg Jacques
Published: July 2012

This essay undertakes a review of national and international law to demonstrate that law is mainly an ideological and variable instrument of the State and of the United Nations, which is a by-product of the states. In this perspective, the author opposes the pragmatical ideology of resistance against the sovereign state to the juridical legitimation and the behaviour of the States who reluctantly have conceded some civil and political rights. Those rights are endangered by the growing bureaucratization of the state, the inflation of the juridical norms and rules, in addition to the permanent repressive characters of the State. The criticism of the contradiction and the variation of the rule of law when it relates to "human rights" is also extended to international law as well as to the international organizations.
Introduction
Authors: Beaupré Michael
Published: July 2012

Les cinq textes qui suivent ont été présentés au 12e congrès de l'Académie internationale de droit comparé, tenu en août 1986 aux universités de Sydney et Monash en Australie.

Essayant de définir ce qu'est la traduction, ces textes font état de la variété de méthodes et de styles de la traduction, ainsi que de l'importance du contenu culturel de la langue juridique. Les embûches créées par la spécificité culturelle d'une langue juridique par rapport à une autre et par l'affinité relative des langues dans lesquelles un texte juridique doit s'exprimer sont analysées par rapport à un autre problème : celui de la réception de nouvelles institutions juridiques au sein du système juridique en place. Enfin, on propose un plus grand rôle pour les juristes et le droit comparé dans le processus d'élaboration des textes juridiques plurilingues, processus confié trop souvent aux seuls traducteurs.
La libération de la caution par la faute du créancier
Authors: Poudrier-LeBel Louise
Published: July 2012

Since the decision of the Supreme Court in Soucisse, a growing number of sureties try to obtain their liberation by invoking a fault of the creditor. This phenomenon occurs in the province of Quebec as in the other provinces of Canada. This paper relates mostly to the Quebec Law.

The sureties plead a fault in information about the nature or the consequences of their contract or about the risks and circumstances of the operation. The author writes that such a general duty of information does not exist, except if the creditor has been contractually engaged to do so. Nevertheless, if the creditor gives wrong information with bad faith, he will be held liable.

Secondly, the sureties invoke the recall of the loan. Here again, there is no fault on the creditor's part, if the term is arrived or if a reasonable notice has been given when the debt is payable on demand. But if the creditor has promised that he would not recall his loan for a certain period, he must do so.

Thirdly, the sureties invoke a fault in the realization of the securities for a low price. The courts will ascertain whether the sale has been held in accordance with prescriptions of the law for this type of security. If the creditor sells privatly, the courts do not hold him liable if the price obtained is justified within the economic context.

In case of a fault in the realization of the securities, an action on liability belongs to the principal, the company, and not to the surety, the shareholder, a victim by ricochet, except if the goods are his own. Nevertheless if the surety is sued, he may oppose a fin denon-recevoir.

The burden of the proof of the fault will be more or less easy according to the circumstances of the case. Most often, an exoneration clause will deny liability except in the case of bad faith. In the absence of such a clause, the criterium is that of a reasonable man. Sureties must also prove the amount of the prejudice. Recent amendments to the Bank Act and to the Act respecting Bills of lading, Receipts and Transferts of property in stock impose new standards of conduct on the creditor and will offer more protection to sureties.
La compétence des tribunaux administratifs en matière de Charte
Authors: Brun Henri
Published: July 2012

Si les plaideurs font souvent valoir la Charte canadienne des droits devant les tribunaux administratifs, il n'est pas sûr que ces derniers peuvent toujours donner suite aux arguments qu'ils font entendre. Il est certain que les tribunaux administratifs doivent se comporter conformément à la Charte et interpréter le droit de la même façon, mais il n'est pas certain qu'ils peuvent aller jusqu'à juger que certaines dispositions de leurs lois ou règlements sont inconstitutionnels. L'auteur pense, pour des raisons politiques et juridiques, qu'ils ont même le devoir d'aller jusque-là.
L'Avant-projet de Loi sous l'angle de la responsabilité des fabricants et des vendeurs spécialisés
Authors: Masse Claude
Published: July 2012

L'évolution du droit civil en matière de responsabilité des fabricants et des vendeurs spécialisés a été considérable au Québec depuis 15 ans. Les tribunaux et le législateur ont non seulement augmenté de beaucoup les obligations faites aux fabricants (responsabilité pour les vices cachés et devoir d'information), mais ils ont également uniformisé et clarifié les régimes juridiques applicables.

L'Avant-projet rompt complètement avec cette évolution. Il y est en effet proposé de dédoubler et de distinguer les fondements de la responsabilité opposables à ces deux types de défendeurs, et ce, pour des dommages identiques causés par les mêmes produits. D'autre part, les propositions faites placeraient à bien des égards les fabricants dans une position juridique plus favorable que celle des vendeurs de leurs propres produits pour certains types de dommages et nous jugeons cette proposition inacceptable. Il faut remarquer enfin que les consommateurs québécois assumeraient seuls, si l’Avant-projet était accepté à cet égard, le risque des innovations technologiques, marquant en cela un net recul par rapport à la situation actuelle qui est largement influencée par la décision de la Cour suprême dans l'arrêt Kravitz.

C'est pour ces raisons que la présente étude recommande la révision complète de cette partie cruciale de l’Avant-projet concernant la responsabilité des fabricants et vendeurs spécialisés de produits défectueux.
Pour la restauration de la Cour de révision
Authors: Vallerand Claude
Published: July 2012

Il faut au départ un constat fort simple : la Cour d'appel, face au contexte actuel et confrontée au phénomène d'inflation judiciaire, ne peut assumer adéquatement son double rôle, soit l'oeuvre de révision des jugements et l'oeuvre de direction du droit. Devant cette situation et dans la conjoncture actuelle et prévisible, il faut penser à la restauration de la Cour de révision
Grands pas et faux pas de l'abus de droit contractuel
Authors: Jobin Pierre-Gabriel
Published: July 2012

Avant de passer en revue les très nombreuses applications de l'abus de droit dans le prêt d'argent, le contrat individuel de travail et le contrat de distribution commerciale, l'auteur examine les critères, la notion et le fondement de l'abus de droit en matières contractuelles. Il est d'accord avec les tribunaux pour l'emploi de critères tels que la malice, la rupture imprévisible et injustifiée du contrat, la prise de sanctions contre le cocontractant sans aucun motif juste et suffisant et la poursuite d'un but manifestement illégitime ; il considère toutefois que le critère de la simple négligence est trop large.

L'auteur constate que la doctrine de l'abus de droit en matières contractuelles est devenu une norme générale de conduite applicable en principe à tout contrat. Cette norme est assez souple pour s'adapter à une grande diversité de situations. L'abus de droit se fonde sur la bonne foi dans l'exécution, l'interprétation et la fin du contrat. La responsabilité qui en découle est contractuelle, et non extracontractuelle.
Harmonisation of social policy in the European Community
Authors: Bieback Karl-Jürgen
Published: July 2012

With the completion of the Common Market by the end of 1992 the issue of harmonisation of EC law and the Member States is being intensively discussed. Most articles concentrate on discussing the direct effects that EC law has on the law of the Member States. However, in the field of social policy EC competences are very limited as this is still within the prerogative power of the Member States. This paper analyses the problem that the regulatory power and weight of the EC are much greater than its direct competences and regulations mainly through the legal, economic and social influences a common market will exert on the legal order of the Member States. One point is the "natural" tendency of (con-)federated political systems to extend the existing limited competences of the centre. This is not only a matter of "implied powers" granted to the larger political unit, but also of the predominance of EC competence to establish a free market over the Member States' competence to regulate their social policy. The second point is the various influences the free market of the Community will have on the structure of the respective social policies of the Member States : social dumping ; limits to national regulations of social services which disturb the free market for services and goods ; the mobility of labour and the exports of social benefits.

Although most mechanisms of harmonisation are illustrated by examples of German labour and social security law, the problems apply to all other Member States of the EC and even to a country, like Canada, which is part of a larger zone of free trade and which itself forms a federal system with a fragile balance between the competences of the Federation and the Member States.
Les transformations du droit dans la problématique de la transition à la postmodernité
Authors: Gagné Gilles
Published: July 2012

Les sociétés modernes ont été des sociétés révolutionnaires ; tournées vers la rationalisation de domaines autonomes de la pratique sociale, elles élevaient le problème de l'unité de l'action sociale au niveau d'un droit formel, universaliste et abstrait, compris lui-même comme déduction d'un idéal de justice caractérisée par la liberté individuelle. L'indétermination de cette idée de justice, c'est-à-dire l'impossibilité de déduire un contenu concret d'un principe, a entraîné une crise du pouvoir défaire le droit et la mise en place de procédures inductives et pragmatiques de reconnaissance des droits invoqués au gré des conflits sociaux par les différentes catégories d'acteurs.
Pour une réception de la théorie de l'imprévision en droit positif québécois
Authors: Martin Stefan
Published: July 2012

Après avoir soulevé d'intenses débats et bien des controverses durant la première moitié du XXe siècle, la théorie de l'imprévision devait sombrer lentement dans les sphères de l'oubli. L'instabilité économique chronique paraissait vaincue, les discussions sur l'adaptation des contrats aux nouvelles circonstances semblaient ainsi anachroniques. Les diverses crises économiques qui se sont succédé depuis le début des années 1970 ont contribué à relancer les discussions doctrinales sur ce sujet. Certains pays ont franchi le Rubicon et ont consacré la révision judiciaire des contrats touchés par les aléas du temps et de la nature. On pense notamment aux droits allemand, hollandais, italien, grec et algérien. Au Québec, la théorie de l'imprévision n'a guère suscité de passions et n'a trouvé que peu de défendeurs. Les arguments de ses détracteurs s'avèrent invariables : force obligatoire des contrats, sécurité juridique des transactions, peur endémique de l'arbitraire judiciaire. Plus qu'un plaidoyer, notre étude se présente comme une contre-argumentation, une tentative de projeter certains mythes dans les réalités de cette fin de siècle. La théorie de l'imprévision n'est ni une hérésie juridique, ni un blasphème dirigé contre la tradition civilis te du droit des obligations.
La justice contractuelle : mythe ou réalité ?
Authors: Lefebvre Brigitte
Published: July 2012

Le Code civil du Québec prône une nouvelle philosophie de justice contractuelle qui vise notamment à protéger la partie faible à un contrat. Cette nouvelle approche remet en question la théorie de l'autonomie de la volonté. Dans le présent texte, l'auteure souligne, dans un premier temps, les motifs pour lesquels cette théorie a été remise en question et les nouvelles avenues suggérées. On constate alors que la notion de bonne foi est au coeur du débat. Puis, dans un deuxième temps, après avoir jeté un coup d'oeil sur cette notion, l'auteure traite de l'efficacité concrète des dispositions sur les clauses abusives.