Quebec premier plans early renewal of notwithstanding clause on Bill 96

Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette is set to introduce legislation renewing the notwithstanding clause on Bill 96, the province’s language law, as the National Assembly begins a short spring session. The clause, which lets provinces temporarily override parts of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, was included in Bill 96 when it passed in 2022 and is not due to expire until 2027. Fréchette’s government says the renewal will come a year early, with French Language Minister JeanFrançois Roberge expected to table the bill on Wednesday. Opposition leaders criticized the move as a low priority compared with issues such as health care and cost of living, while some legal experts warned that repeated use of the clause could weaken Charter protections. The government also plans another bill to extend parts of Quebec’s French Language Charter to adult and vocational education.