Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on
Legal and Constitutional Affairs

Issue 2 - Minutes of Proceedings

[English]

The Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs met at 4:05 p.m., this day, in room 257, East Block, the Honourable Senator Milne, Chair, presiding.

Members of the committee present: Beaudoin, Buchanan, P.C., Cools, Cordy, Fraser, Joyal, P.C., Milne, Nolin, Pearson and Rompkey, P.C. (10).

In attendance: From the Library of Parliament: Nancy Holmes and Jay Sinha.

Also in attendance: The official reporters of the Senate.

APPEARING:

The Honourable Anne McLellan, P.C., M.P., Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada.

WITNESSES:

From the Department of Justice Canada:

Alain Bisson, Senior General Counsel, Civil Code Section;

Yves DeMontigny, Special Advisor to the Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Public Law;

Alain Vauclair, counsel, Civil Code Section.

Academic:

Professor Nicholas Kasirer, Research Centre of Private and Comparative Law, McGill University.

Pursuant to the Order of Reference adopted by the Senate on February 7, 2001, the committee proceeded to study Bill S-4, A First Act to harmonize federal law with the civil law of the Province 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. (See Issue No. 1, Wednesday, February 21, 2001 for full text of the Order of Reference.)

The Honourable Anne McLellan, together with Alain Bisson, made an opening statement and answered questions. Yves DeMontigny also answered questions.

Professor Kasirer made an opening statement and answered questions.

At 6:25 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.

ATTEST:

Jill Anne Joseph

Clerk of the Committee