Reference Re Secession of Quebec

Reference Re Secession of Quebec
Supreme Court of Canada
Hearing: February 16–19, 1998
Judgment: August 20, 1998
Citations[1998] 2 SCR 217; 1998 CanLII 793 (SCC); (1998), 161 DLR (4th) 385; (1998), 55 CRR (2d) 1
Docket No.25506 [1]
Holding
Quebec cannot secede from Canada unilaterally; however, a clear vote on a clear question to secede in a referendum should lead to negotiations between Quebec and the rest of Canada for secession. However, above all, secession would require a constitutional amendment.
Court membership
Chief Justice: Antonio Lamer
Puisne Justices: Claire L'Heureux-Dubé, John Sopinka, Charles Gonthier, Peter Cory, Beverley McLachlin, Frank Iacobucci, John C. Major, Michel Bastarache
Reasons given
Unanimous reasons byThe Court

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 Court's opinion, pointing to different sections of the ruling.

  1. ^ SCC Case Information - Docket 25506 Supreme Court of Canada