Province

In June 2002, the Quebec legislature voted to approve Bill 84, which recognized same-sex couples' rights to adopt, raise children, and to share a marriage-like status called a civil union [R1.1].

Civil-union status will offer most of the legal benefits of marriage, including division of assets after a breakup, the right to see a partner's medical records, and automatic status as a beneficiary when a partner dies.

The bill also allows for adoption by homosexual couples.

The law was expected come into effect in July 2002 [R1.1].

Province

In 1977, the province became the first jurisdiction in Canada to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation with the passing of its Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms [R1.1].

Courts & Tribunals

In April 2002, a commission ordered neighbours who harassed a gay Montreal couple to pay the men a combined $36,000 [R1.1].

Province

In 1998, the Court of Appeal struck down a provision of Canada's penal code that forbids sodomy before age 18 while allowing other sexual practices at age fourteen. The court said the ban violates the national Charter of rights and Freedoms and discriminates against young gays. The ruling is binding only in Quebec [R1.1].

Courts & Tribunals

In March 2002, the Quebec Court of Appeal ruled that the Quebec Pension plan discriminated against four Quebec gay surviving spouses in a suit over the date when partners are eligible to receive Widows Pensions from the government [R1.1].

Province

In 2002, Quebec passed Bill 84 which recognized same-sex couples' rights to adopt, raise children, and to share a marriage-like status called a civil union [R1.1].

The law was expected to come into effect in July 2002.

The minimum age of those who wish to be joined in a civil union--either same-sex or opposite-sex--has been set at 18, whilst, the minimum age for opposite-sex traditional marriage is 16 [R1.2].

Quebec couples who opt for a civil union may divorce simply by signing an agreement before a notary public, provided there are no children involved [R1.2].

Courts & Tribunals

In March 2004, the Quebec Court of Appeal upheld a lower court ruling that declared it unconstitutional to discriminate against same-sex couples when it comes to marriage rights [R2.1].

The ruling upheld the earlier Quebec Superior Court ruling of Justice Louise Lemelin [C2] that found denying gays and lesbians the right to marry was a violation of Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms [R2.2].

In October 1998, Canada's first challenge to the constitutionality and legality of the Quebec Civil Code of 1994, the right to same-sex marriage was set to be heard shortly in the Superior Court [R2.3].

Province

In September 2002, the Montreal presbytery of the United Church of Canada gave its ministers and congregations the go-ahead to perform civil-union ceremonies for same-sex couples [R1.1].

In June 2002, the Quebec legislature voted to approve Bill 84, which recognized same-sex couples' rights to adopt, raise children, and to share a marriage-like status called a civil union [R1.2].

Civil-union status will offer most of the legal benefits of marriage, including division of assets after a breakup, the right to see a partner's medical records, and automatic status as a beneficiary when a partner dies.

The bill also allows for adoption by homosexual couples.

The law was expected come into effect in July 2002 [R1.2].

In April 2002, a draft bill was unveiled in the legislature and was expected to be adopted by the end of the current session. The law would give same-sex couples the same rights and obligations as married heterosexual couples, including adoption and artificial insemination [R1.3].

In December 2001, draft legislation to create a Partnership Union Registry was tabled [R1.4].

In November 2001, the government announced legislation to create a gay and lesbian partnership registry [R1.5].

In June 1999, the Quebec government has adopted Law 21, that gives homosexual couples the same rights as common-law pairs. It meant same-sex couples have the right to the same social benefits, tax deductions and survivors' benefits as heterosexual couples [R1.6].

Province

In July 2002, the Province had legislation requiring the division of property accumulated during a relationship if a couple splits [R1.1].

Province

In June 2000, the Supreme Court of Canada denied the application of a Quebec region lawyer to add a feminine name to his existing masculine names, even though he regularly dresses as a woman and is considering a sex-change operation [R1.1].

In April 1999, a court ruled in favour of a transsexual's lawsuit, winning him a new birth certificate and established new criteria for identification revisions [R1.2].