Renvoi relatif à la Loi sur l'instruction publique, L.Q. 1988, c. 84, (1993) 154 N.R. 1 (SCC)

• Judge: Cory and McLachlin, JJ.
• Court: Supreme Court (Canada)
• Case Date: June 17, 1993
• Jurisdiction: Canada (Federal)
• Citations: (1993), 154 N.R. 1 (SCC);154 NR 1;[1993] 2 SCR 511;1993 CanLII 100 (SCC);105 DLR (4th) 266

Renvoi relatif Loi sur l'instn. publique (1993), 154 N.R. 1 (SCC)

MLB headnote and full text

[French language version follows English language version]

[La version française vient à la suite de la version anglaise]

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L'Association des commissions scolaires protestantes du Québec, la Fédération des commissions scolaires du Québec, la Commission scolaire Chomedey de Laval, le Conseil scolaire de l'île de Montréal et la Commission des écoles catholiques de Montréal (appellants) v. Le Procureur général du Québec (respondent) and Jeanne-D'Arc Audet-Grenier, Renelle Grenier-Gagné, Aurèle Grenier et Achille Larouche (interveners)

(Nos. 22112, 22119, 22123, 22124, 22129)

Indexed As: Renvoi relatif à la Loi sur l'instruction publique, L.Q. 1988, c. 84

Supreme Court of Canada

Lamer, C.J.C., and La Forest,

L'Heureux-Dubé, Sopinka, Gonthier,

Cory and McLachlin, JJ.

June 17, 1993.

Summary:

By Order-in-Council 610-89 issued under the Court of Appeal Reference Act, the Quebec government asked the Quebec Court of Appeal to determine whether certain provisions of the Education Act, S.Q. 1988, c. 84, violated ss. 93(1) and 93(2) of the Constitution Act, 1867.

The Quebec Court of Appeal, in a judg­ment reported [1990] R.J.Q. 2498; 32 Q.A.C. 1, answered certain questions YES and the others NO. The Quebec National Assembly amended the Education Act. The matter went to the Supreme Court of Canada.

The Supreme Court of Canada answered all questions NO.

Constitutional Law - Topic 9542

Education - Separate or denominational schools - Extent of constitutional guaran­tees under s. 93, Constitution Act, 1867 - The Supreme Court of Canada discussed the origins of s. 93 of the Constitution Act, 1867 and the nature and scope of the guarantees it provides - See paragraphs 23 to 80.

Constitutional Law - Topic 9542

Education - Separate or denominational schools - Extent of constitutional guaran­tees under s. 93, Constitution Act, 1867 - Does the Education Act (S.Q. 1988, c. 84), in particular ss. 111, 354, 519, 521, 522 and 527, violate the rights and privileges protected by ss. 93(1) and 93(2) of the Constitution Act, 1867 by providing for the establishment of French language and English language school boards which will succeed to the rights and obligations of school boards for Catholics and Protes­tants? - The Supreme Court of Canada answered NO - See paragraphs 81 to 93.

Constitutional Law - Topic 9542

Education - Separate or denominational schools - Extent of constitutional guaran­tees under s. 93, Constitution Act, 1867 - Does the Education Act (S.Q. 1988, c. 84), in particular ss. 126 to 139 and 206, vio­late the rights and privileges protected by ss. 93(1) and 93(2) of the Constitution Act, 1867 by providing for the manner in which the right to dissent is to be exercised and the manner in which dissentient school boards are to be established? - The Supreme Court of Canada answered NO - See paragraphs 94 to 126.

Constitutional Law - Topic 9542

Education - Separate or denominational schools - Extent of constitutional guaran­tees under s. 93, Constitution Act, 1867 - Does the Education Act (S.Q. 1988, c. 84), in particular ss. 126 to 139 and 206, vio- l­ate the rights and privileges protected by ss. 93(1) and 93(2) of the Constitution Act, 1867 by: (a) authorizing the government to change the legal structures of dissentient school boards and terminate the existence of those which do not perform any of the functions contemplated in the Act and (b) restricting access to these school boards to persons who belong to the same religious denomination as that of these school boards? - The Supreme Court of Canada answered NO - See paragraphs 94 to 105, 127 to 135.

Constitutional Law - Topic 9542

Education - Separate or denominational schools - Extent of constitutional guaran­tees under s. 93, Constitution Act, 1867 - Does the Education Act (S.Q. 1988, c. 84), in particular ss. 122, 123, 124, 206, 519, 521 and 522, violate the rights and privi­leges protected by ss. 93(1) and 93(2) of the Constitution Act, 1867 by: (a) continu­ing the existence of the confessional school boards in their territories; (b) al­low­ing the government to change these territories; (c) providing for a means of transferring part of their rights and obliga­tions to French language and English language school boards; (d) restricting access to these school boards to persons who belong to the same religious denomi­nation as that of these school boards? - The Supreme Court of Canada answered NO - See paragraphs 136 to 175.

Constitutional Law - Topic 9542

Education - Separate or denominational schools - Extent of constitutional guaran­tees under s. 93, Constitution Act, 1867 - Does the Education Act (S.Q. 1988, c. 84), in particular ss. 423, 424, 425, 428 and 439, violate the rights and privileges pro­tected by ss. 93(1) and 93(2) of the Con­stitution Act, 1867 by: (a) giving the Conseil scolaire de l'île de Montréal the power to borrow money on behalf of all school boards on the island of Montréal; (b) authorizing the Conseil scolaire to establish rules for apportioning the pro­ceeds of the tax it collects on behalf of these school boards? - The Supreme Court of Canada answered NO - See paragraphs 176 to 200.

Constitutional Law - Topic 9542

Education - Separate or denominational schools - Extent of constitutional guaran­tees under s. 93, Constitution Act, 1867 - Does the Education Act (S.Q. 1988, c. 84), in particular ss. 49, 223, 227, 230, 261 and 568, violate the rights and privileges pro­tected by ss. 93(1) and 93(2) of the Con­stitution Act, 1867, by giving the Catholic and Protestant committees of the Conseil supérieur de l'éducation authority: (a) to establish rules respecting the confessional nature of the schools of the confessional and dissentient school boards; (b) to approve the programs of studies for reli­gious instruction offered in such schools and to determine the qualification of per­sons providing that instruction and those assigned to pastoral or religious care and guidance in such schools? - The Supreme Court of Canada answered NO - See paragraphs 201 to 215.

Droit constitutionnel - Cote 9542

Education - Ecoles séparées ou confes­sionnelles - Etendue des garanties de l'art. 93 de la Loi constitutionnelle de 1867 - [Voir Constitutional Law - Topic 9542 ].

Cases Noticed:

Hirsch v. Protestant Board of School Commissioners of Montreal, [1928] A.C. 200 (P.C.), refd to. [paras. 19, 26].

Greater Hull School Board v. Attorney General of Quebec, [1984] 2 S.C.R. 575; 56 N.R. 99, refd to. [para. 26].

Protestant School Board of Greater Montreal et al. v. Québec (Procureur général) et al., [1989] 1 S.C.R. 377; 92 N.R. 327, refd to. [para. 26].

Reference re Roman Catholic Separate High Schools Funding, [1987] 1 S.C.R. 1148; 77 N.R. 241; 22 O.A.C. 321, refd to. [para. 25].

Quebec Association of Protestant School Boards v. Attorney General of Quebec, [1985] C.S. 872; 21 D.L.R. (4th) 36, refd to. [para. 3].

Winnipeg (City) v. Barrett, [1892] A.C. 445, refd to. [para. 26].

Ottawa Separate Schools Trustees v. Mackell, [1917] A.C. 62 (P.C.), refd to. [para. 58].

Laurentide Motels Ltd. et al. c. Beauport (Ville) et al., [1989] 1 S.C.R. 705; 94 N.R. 1; 23 Q.A.C. 1, refd to. [para. 192].

Maher v. Portland (Town) (1874), Wheeler's Confederation Law of Canada (1896), p. 338 (P.C.), refd to. [para. 41].

Statutes Noticed:

Act to Repeal Certain Acts therein Men­tioned, and to Make further Provision for the Establishment and Maintenance of Common Schools throughout the Province/Acte pour abroger certains Actes y mentionnés, et pourvoir plus amplement à l'établissement et au main­tien des écoles publiques en cette Province, S. P. C. 1841, c. 18, sect. XI [para. 42].

Act to Restore to Roman Catholics in Upper Canada Certain Rights in Respect to Separate Schools/Acte pour réintégrer les catholiques romains du Haut-Canada dans l'exercice de certains droits concer­nant les écoles séparées, S.P.C. 1863, c. 5, sect. 2 [para. 69]; sect. 12 [para. 131].

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, 1982/Charte canadienne des droits et libertés, 1982, sect. 23 [para. 22].

Civil Code of Lower Canada/Code civil du Bas-Canada, art. 357, art. 358, art. 259, art. 260, art. 361 [para. 192].

Conseil supérieur de l'Education, Act respecting the/Conseil supérieur de l'Education, Loi sur le, R.S.Q. 1977, c. C-60, generally [para. 210].

Constitution Act, 1867/Loi constitution­nelle de 1867, sect. 93 [para. 1].

Court of Appeal Reference Act/Renvois à la Cour d'appel, Loi sur les, R.S.Q. 1977, c. R-23, generally [para. 4].

Education Act/Instruction publique, Loi de l', S.Q. 1899, c. 28, sect. 123 [para. 107].

Education Act/Instruction publique, Loi sur l'/, R.S.Q. 1964, c. 235, sect. 203(4) [para. 79].

Education Act/Instruction publique, Loi sur l', S.Q. 1988, c. 84 [now R.S.Q. 1977, c. I-13.3], generally [para. 1]; sect. 49, sect. 111, sect. 122, sect. 123 [para. 6]; sect. 123.1 [para. 140]; sect. 124, sect. 126, sect. 127, sect. 128, sect. 129, sect. 130, sect. 131, sect. 132, sect. 133, sect. 134, sect. 135, sect. 136, sect. 137, sect. 138, sect. 139, sect. 206, sect. 223, sect. 227, sect. 230, sect. 261, sect. 354, sect. 423, sect. 424, sect. 425 [para. 6]; sect. 425.1 [para. 183]; sect. 428, sect. 439 [para. 6]; sect. 510 ff. [para. 115]; sect. 515.1, sect. 515.2., sect. 515.3, sect. 515.4 [para. 97]; sect. 519 [para. 6]; sect. 520 [para. 119]; sect. 521, sect. 522 [para. 6]: sect. 523 [para. 119]; sect. 527 [para. 6]; sect. 530 [para. 116]; 531 [para. 119]; 533 [para. 122]; 568 [para. 6].

Education Act and the Act respecting Private Education, Act Amending the /Instruction publique et la Loi sur l'en­seignement privé, Loi modifiant la Loi sur l', S.Q. 1990, c. 28, generally [para. 4].

Education Act and the Act respecting Private Education, Act Amending the /Instruction publique et la Loi sur l'en­seignement privé, Loi modifiant la Loi sur l', S.Q. 1990, c. 78, generally [para. 5].

Education Act and the Act respecting the Conseil supérieur de l'éducation, Act Amending the /Instruction publique et la Loi sur le Conseil supérieur de l'éduca­tion, Loi modifiant la Loi sur l', S.Q. 1990, c. 8, generally [para. 4].

Education Department Act/Ministère de l'Education, Loi du, R.S.Q. 1964, c. 233, generally [para. 74].

Education in this Province, Act to Amend the Acts concerning/Education en cette province, Acte pour amender les lois concernant l', S.Q. 1869, c. 16, generally [para. 34]; sect. 18 [para. 208].

Elementary Education in Lower Canada, Act to Repeal Certain Provisions so as to Provide more Efficiently for/Instruction élémentaire dans le Bas-Canada, Acte pour abroger certaines dispositions y mentionnées pour pouvoir d'une manière plus efficace à l', S.P.C. 1846, c. 27, generally [para. 43].

Establishment and Maintenance of Com­mon Schools in Upper Canada, Act for the/Etablissement et soutien des Écoles Communes dans le Haut-Canada, Acte pour l', S.P.C. 1843, c. 29, generally [para. 43].

French Language in Québec, Act to pro­mote the/Langue française au Québec, Loi pour promouvoir la, S.Q. 1969, c. 9, sect. 2 [para. 79].

Order-in-Council 610-89/Décret 610-89, (1989) 121 G.O.Q. II, May 17, 1989 [para. 4].

Provincial Aid for Superior Education - and Normal and Common Schools, Act respecting/Allocation provinciale en faveur de l'éducation supérieure - et les écoles normales et communes, Acte concernant l', C.S.L.C. 1861, c. 15, gen­erally [para. 33], sect. 24(1) [para. 46]; sect. 27 [para. 35]; sect. 54 [para. 63]; sect. 55 [para. 37]; sect. 55(2) [para. 47]; sect. 55(4) [para. 134]; sect. 56(2) [para. 131]; sect. 56(3) [para. 39]; sect. 57(1) [para. 134]; sect. 57(3) [para. 48]; sect. 57(5) [para. 134]; sect. 58 [para. 49]; sect. 64 [para. 63]; sect. 66 [para. 131]; sect. 73, sect. 74 [para. 49]; sect. 128, sect. 130, sect. 131 [para. 164].

Public Elementary and Secondary Educa­tion, Act respecting/Enseignement pri­maire et secondaire public, Loi sur l', S.Q. 1984, c. 39, generally [para. 3].

Regrouping and Management of School Boards, Act respecting/Regroupement et la gestion des commissions scolaires, Loi concernant le, S.Q. 1971, c. 67, generally [para. 62].

School Development on Montréal Island, Act to Promote/Développement sco­laire dans l'île de Montréal, Loi pour favoriser le, S.Q. 1972, c. 60, generally [para. 15].

School elections, Act respecting/Elections scolaires, Loi sur les, R.S.Q. 1977, c. E-2.3, generally [para. 115].

School Law of Lower-Canada, Act to amend the/Loi des écoles du Bas-Cana­da, Acte pour amender la, S.P.C. 1849, c. 50, generally [para. 48].

Superior Council of Education Act/Conseil supérieur de l'éducation, Loi du, R.S.Q. 1964, c. 234, generally [para. 74]; sect. 15, sect. 22 [para. 75].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Carignan, Pierre, La place faite à la reli­gion dans les écoles publiques par la loi scolaire de 1841, (1982-83) 17 R.J.T. 9, p. 45 [para. 42].

Carignan, Pierre, La raison d'être de l'ar­ticle 93 de la Loi constitutionnelle de 1867 à la lumière de la législation pré­existante en matière d'éducation, (1986) 20 R.J.T. 375, pp. 411 [para. 37]; 451 [para. 27].

Carignan, Pierre, Les garanties confession­nelles à la lumière du renvoi relatif aux écoles séparées de l'Ontario: un cas de primauté d'un droit collectif sur le droit individuel à l'égalité, 1992, generally [para. 26]; p. 117 [para. 70].

Chevrette, François, Herbert Marx et André Tremblay, Les problèmes consti­tutionnels posés par la restructuration scolaire de l'île de Montréal, 1972, p. 22 [paras. 55, 57].

Garant, Patrice, Droit et législation scolai­re, 1971, pp. 24-25 [para. 73]; 28 [para. 76]; 91 [para. 78].

Garant, Patrice, J. Gosselin, et P. Trem­blay, Les soubresauts de la réforme scolaire: la constitutionnalité de la loi 3, (1985) 16 R.D.U.S. 205, pp. 228 [para. 50]; 241 [para. 66].

Hurtubise, René, La confessionnalité de notre système scolaire et les garanties constitutionnelles (1962), 65 R. du N. 167 [para. 199].

Pépin, Gilles, L'article 93 de la Constitu­tion et les droits relatifs à la confession­alité des écoles du Québec, (1988) 48 R. du B. 427, p. 431 [para. 71].

Pratte, Sonia, La nouvelle loi sur l'instruc­tion publique et les droits constitution­nelles relatifs aux écoles confession­nelles: quelques considérations, (1990) 31 C. de D. 216, p. 269 [para. 156].

Counsel:

Colin K. Irving and Allan R. Hilton, for the Quebec Association of Protestant School Boards;

Jean Pomminville and Marie-Josée Vachon, for Commission scolaire Chomedey de Laval;

François Houde and Bernard Jacob, for Fédération des commissions scolaires du Québec;

Marcel Cinq-Mars, Q.C., André Durocher and Jude Parent, for Commission des écoles catholiques de Montréal;

François Aquin and Yves Carrières, for Conseil scolaire de l'île de Montréal;

Jean-Yves Bernard and Luc Leblanc, for Procureur général du Québec (Attorney General of Quebec);

Jacques Larochelle and Line Magnan, for Jeanne-D'Arc Audet-Grenier, Renelle Grenier-Gagné, Aurèle Grenier and Achille Larouche.

Solicitors of Record:

Colin K. Irving and Allan R. Hilton, Montréal, Qué., for the Quebec Asso­ciation of Protestant School Boards;

Lavery, de Billy & Ass., Montréal, Qué., for Commission scolaire Chomedey de Laval;

Houde, Brunelle & Ass., Ste-Foy, Qué., for Fédération des commissions scolaires du Québec;

Martineau, Walker & Ass., Montréal, Qué., for Commission des écoles catholiques de Montréal;

Carrières, Meagher & Ass. and François Aquin, Montréal, Qué., for Conseil sco­laire de l'île de Montréal;

Bernard, Roy & Ass., Montréal, Qué., for Procureur général du Québec (Attorney General of Quebec);

Bertrand, Larochelle, Québec, Qué., for Jeanne-D'Arc Audet-Grenier, Renelle Grenier-Gagné, Aurèle Grenier and Achille Larouche.

This appeal was heard on December 7 to 11, 1992, by Lamer, C.J.C., and La Forest, L'Heureux-Dubé., Sopinka, Gonthier, Cory and McLachlin, JJ., of the Supreme Court of Canada.

The judgment of the Supreme Court was delivered in both official languages on June 17, 1993, by Gonthier, J.: