The International Politics Of Quebec Secession

Examines the future of domestic and foreign relations between Canada, Quebec, and their neighbors in the event of a "yes" vote.

This edited collection gathers together Canadian and non-Canadian scholars to reflect on and celebrate the 20thanniversary of the Quebec Secession Reference, delivered by the Canadian Supreme Court in 1998. It opens withtwo Canadian scholars exchanging thoughts on the legacy of the reference from a domestic perspective as one ofthe most questioned decisions of the Canadian Supreme Court. To follow, non-Canadian scholars discuss theimpact of this reference abroad, reflecting upon its influence in European and non-European contexts (Spain,Scotland, the EU after Brexit, Eastern European Countries, Ethiopia, and Asia). Two final chapters, one by a lawyerand one by a political scientist, explore the democratic theory behind that reference.

Based on the premises that Quebecers vote for independence in a referendum and Canada accepts this result, The Secession of Quebec and the Future of Canada is a timely examination of the implications of separation for Quebec and the rest of Canada.

Robert Young discusses the ways in which Canadians might reconstitute their country after Quebec separates and considers possible political and economic arrangements between Quebec and Canada - the "association" aspect of sovereignty-association - including the breakdown of economic cooperation. Arguing that the long-term future of Canada and the shape of Canada-Quebec relations will depend on how the transition to sovereignty takes place, Young provides a clear and detailed analysis of how the transition is likely to occur. His discussion addresses major issues to be negotiated during the secession - citizenship, national debt, borders, armed forces and public service, commercial and economic relations, currency, First Nations, minority rights, mobility and immigration, and environmental matters. For comparison, Young draws on the experiences of other countries where peaceful secession has occurred, including Czechoslovakia. The second edition includes a new preface and concluding chapter that discuss to what extent the situation has changed since the referendum of 1995.

The case of Quebec within Canada, and the Supreme Court of Canada's case on the legality of secessionist attempts by Quebec, is one example of the tension associated with the relationship between self-determination and a right of secession. The object of the book is to render available to the international community the expert opinions and legal arguments associated with the Supreme Court of Canada's decision on the Quebec Secession Reference. The questions put to the Court in large part concerned international law, leading the parties to the Reference to seek opinions from international law experts around the world as they prepared their arguments which are presented in this book. Self-determination is an idea rooted in human dignity and its meaning and force parallel the emergence of new understandings of the nature of sovereignty and the role of international law in the protection of human rights. The UN Human Rights Committee has identified self-determination as one of the most awkward principles to define because abuse of this right could jeopardize international peace and security. Self-determination, as formulated by the International Court of Justice, requires a free and genuine expression of the will of the peoples concerned. But serious questions remain about the extent of the relationship between self-determination and a right of secession. Does self-determination legitimate internal self-government, association of some kind with another state, or statehood, and in what contexts?

The Supreme Court decision on Quebec, delivered in August 1998, was hailed as a victory by both federalists and sovereigntists. This book explains the reasons for this historic decision. It includes the full text of the Supreme Court's opinion together with essays and other key documents. David Schneiderman, Executive Director of the Centre for Constitutional Studies at the University of Alberta, provides a thoughtful introduction to the decision and the debates surrounding it. He has selected a wide range of essays that explore the profound implications of the Court's decision for Canada's future. Anyone interested in Quebec and the future of Canadian federalism will find The Quebec Decision an invaluable resource.

Provides a thorough review of existing literature, analysis of comparative cases of peaceful secession, assessment of constitutional options for Canada without Quebec, and a detailed set of scenarios on how the transition to sovereignty might occur and the implications of the separation for the long