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Quebec civil law updates

S-6 Federal Law–Civil Law Harmonization Act, No. 4: A fourth Act to harmonize federal law with the civil law of Quebec and to amend certain Acts in order to ensure that each language version takes into account the common law and the civil law

Updates 51 federal laws so their English and French texts reflect both Quebec civil law and common law.

What Bill S-6 would do

The bill would amend 51 federal statutes to align them with Quebec civil law following changes from the 1994 Civil Code of Québec. It would update the English and French versions of these laws to reflect both civil law and common law concepts and terms. The affected legislation includes laws governing financial institutions, along with the Access to Information Act, the Financial Administration Act, the Interpretation Act and the Official Languages Act.

Official text

Official summary

This enactment is the fourth in a series of enactments drafted in the course of the harmonization of federal statutes by the Department of Justice of Canada as a result of the coming into force of the Civil Code of Québec in 1994, which substantially changed the concepts, institutions and terminology of civil law. It amends 51 statutes, including the Acts governing financial institutions — the Bank Act , the Cooperative Credit Associations Act , the Insurance Companies Act and the Trust and Loan Companies Act — and other Acts including the Access to Information Act , the Financial Administration Act , the Interpretation Act and the Official Languages Act , in order to ensure that each language version takes into account the common law and the civil law.

Available on the Senate of Canada website at the following address: www.sencanada.ca/en

The government's summary, printed at the front of the bill as introduced.

Kind
Government bill
Sponsor
Pierre Moreau, Senator
Introduced
in the Senate
Last activity

Where it stands

  1. ProposedFeb 24
  2. Being debatedsince Jun 17 Exact stageSenate bill awaiting first reading in the House of Commons · since June 17, 2026MPs or senators are debating it in the chamber where it started.
  3. Almost law
  4. Law

Passed the Senate; now in the House, waiting to be introduced

  1. First reading in the Senate done

    Before the Senate on 1 sitting day,

  2. Second reading in the Senate done

    Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs

    Before the Senate on 2 sitting days, to

  3. Committee in the Senate done

    Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs

    Before the Senate on 1 sitting day,

  4. Third reading in the Senate done

    Before the Senate on 2 sitting days, to

  5. First reading in the House now

  6. Second reading in the House not yet

  7. Committee in the House not yet

  8. Report stage in the House not yet

  9. Third reading in the House not yet

  10. Royal assent not yet

Exact procedural stages

Officially: Senate bill awaiting first reading in the House of Commons · since June 17, 2026.

  1. Senate
  2. House
  3. Royal assent

Debates in the House 0

No debate on this bill is in the record we hold yet (Senate debates are not covered).

Also raised in 2

Question Period, members' statements and other debates where the bill came up.

Show 2

  1. Message from the Senate

    · Government Orders · named 1 time

  2. Military Justice System Modernization Act

    · Government Orders · named 1 time

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