{"schema":"abhortion.org/legislation.full/v1","id":"legality-ca-qc","type":"legislation","level":"province","jurisdiction":"Quebec","as_of_date":"2026-07-13","research_completed_date":"2026-07-13","headline":"Broad access, fully funded, 59 points of service","summary":"Quebec has the most abortion clinics of any Canadian province — 59 — and both procedural and medication abortion are fully covered by the public health plan (RAMQ) for all residents at any stage of pregnancy.","machine_readable_summary":{"access_classification":"broad_access","criminal_restrictions":false,"restriction_attempts_present_or_past":true,"insured_service":"fully_insured","clinic_abortions_funded":true,"reciprocal_billing_covered":false,"travel_assistance_program":false,"services_locally_available":"hospitals_and_clinics","surgical_service_limit_weeks":24,"medication_abortion_available":"yes","mifegymiso_universally_covered":true,"telehealth_prescribing_available":true,"safe_access_zone_law":true,"effective_referral_required":false,"institutional_objection_present":false,"minor_consent_regime":"statutory_age","statutory_consent_age":14,"parental_involvement_required":false,"fetal_wrongful_death_action":false,"major_pending_change":true},"links":{"html":"https://www.abhortion.org/legislation/ca-qc.html","markdown":"https://www.abhortion.org/legislation/ca-qc.md","summary_json":"https://www.abhortion.org/legislation/ca-qc.json","full_json":"https://www.abhortion.org/legislation/ca-qc-full.json","verbose_json":"https://www.abhortion.org/legislation/ca-qc-verbose.json"},"overview":{"title":"Broad access, fully funded, 59 points of service","summary":"Quebec has the most abortion clinics of any Canadian province — 59 — and both procedural and medication abortion are fully covered by the public health plan (RAMQ) for all residents at any stage of pregnancy.","description":"Abortion in Quebec is free for anyone with a valid Quebec health insurance card. The province has 59 clinics and hospitals providing abortion, the most of any Canadian province. There is no law limiting when in pregnancy an abortion can be performed, though in practice most facilities provide surgical abortions only up to about 24 weeks and will refer later patients to facilities in the United States or other provinces. Medication abortion using the abortion pill is universally free through a special RAMQ program for pregnancies up to 9 weeks. A provincial law creates a 50-metre safe-access zone around facilities that provide abortion to protect patients and providers from harassment. Minors aged 14 and over can consent to an abortion on their own without parental involvement.","verification":"verified","confidence":"high","sources":[{"name":"Publications du Québec","href":"https://www.publicationsduquebec.gouv.qc.ca/fileadmin/Fichiers_client/lois_et_reglements/LoisAnnuelles/en/2016/2016C28A.PDF"},{"name":"CanLII","href":"https://www.globalhealthrights.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/SCQ-2006-Associaton-pour-lAcces-Eng.pdf"}]},"sections":{"division_of_powers":{"title":"Province controls access through health and regulation","summary":"Quebec cannot criminalize abortion — that power belongs exclusively to Parliament — but it shapes access through health insurance, facility regulation, professional oversight, and its safe-access-zone law.","description":"Under Canada's Constitution, only the federal government can make something a crime. The Supreme Court of Canada struck down the federal abortion law in 1988, and Parliament repealed those sections of the Criminal Code in 2019. So abortion cannot be criminalized anywhere in Canada, including Quebec. What Quebec can and does control is whether abortion is covered by the public health insurance plan (RAMQ), which facilities may provide it, who may perform it, how close protesters can get to clinics, and whether minors need parental consent. Quebec also regulates doctors and other health professionals through the Collège des médecins and other professional orders.","verification":"semi_verified","confidence":"high","sources":[{"name":"Supreme Court of Canada","href":"https://www.canlii.org/en/ca/scc/doc/1993/1993canlii74/1993canlii74.html"},{"name":"Justice Laws Website","href":"https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/Const/page-1.html"}]},"current_status":{"title":"Fully legal, fully insured, 50-metre safe-access zone","summary":"Quebec provides universal public coverage for both procedural and medication abortion, with the most extensive clinic network in Canada, protected by statutory 50-metre safe-access zones and with minors 14+ able to consent independently.","description":"Today, a person seeking an abortion in Quebec can walk into any of 59 clinics or hospitals across the province and receive the service at no cost with a valid RAMQ health card. There is no legal time limit on when an abortion can be performed, though in practice most facilities stop at around 24 weeks. A provincial law keeps protesters at least 50 metres away from facilities providing abortion. The abortion pill (Mifegymiso) is free at pharmacies for pregnancies up to 9 weeks. People aged 14 and older do not need parental permission. If a doctor objects to providing abortion on moral grounds, they must tell the patient and help them find another doctor — but the law stops short of requiring a formal effective referral.","verification":"verified","confidence":"high","sources":[{"name":"Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec","href":"https://www.ramq.gouv.qc.ca/en/about-us/programs-free-access-medications-supplies-services"}]},"funding_and_insurance":{"provincial_health_plan":{"title":"Abortion fully insured under RAMQ","summary":"Both procedural and medication abortion are 100% covered for Quebec residents with a valid health insurance card through the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ), with no co-payments or facility fees permitted.","description":"If you have a Quebec health insurance card, an abortion costs you nothing. Both the surgical procedure and the abortion pill are fully covered by RAMQ, the province's public health plan. You do not need a doctor's referral. Clinics and hospitals cannot charge you any additional fees if you present a valid RAMQ card. If you do not have a RAMQ card — for example, if you are an international student or your card has expired — you will need to pay, and the cost varies by clinic and gestational age.","verification":"semi_verified","confidence":"high","sources":[{"name":"Légis Québec","href":"https://www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/document/cs/a-29"},{"name":"Trudel Johnston & Lespérance","href":"https://tjl.quebec/en/class-actions/access-to-abortion"}]},"clinic_vs_hospital_funding":{"title":"Fully funded, clinics and hospitals","summary":"All abortions, whether performed in hospitals, CLSCs, or free-standing private clinics, are publicly funded by RAMQ without any facility-type exclusion.","description":"In Quebec, it does not matter whether you get an abortion at a hospital or at a private clinic — both are fully covered. This distinguishes Quebec from some other provinces where clinic abortions were historically underfunded or excluded. The province has never maintained a regulation excluding out-of-hospital abortions from public coverage, and the 2006 class-action judgment confirmed that clinics cannot charge insured patients extra fees.","verification":"semi_verified","confidence":"high","sources":[{"name":"Global Health Rights Database","href":"https://www.globalhealthrights.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/SCQ-2006-Associaton-pour-lAcces-Eng.pdf"}]},"reciprocal_billing":{"title":"No reciprocal billing; limited reimbursement","summary":"Quebec does not participate in interprovincial reciprocal billing agreements for physician services, meaning Quebec residents who obtain an abortion out of province must pay up front and are reimbursed only at Quebec rates, leaving a significant shortfall.","description":"If a Quebec resident needs an abortion in another province — for example, because they need one later in pregnancy than what is available locally — they will likely have to pay the full cost themselves and then apply to RAMQ for reimbursement. RAMQ only reimburses at Quebec's own fee rates, which are much lower than what other provinces charge. The difference can be hundreds of dollars that the patient must cover. Unlike most other provinces, Quebec has no reciprocal billing agreement for medical (physician) services, meaning out-of-province doctors are not paid directly by RAMQ.","verification":"verified","confidence":"high","sources":[{"name":"Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec","href":"https://www.ramq.gouv.qc.ca/en/citizens/absence-quebec/know-which-services-are-covered-outside-quebec"}]},"travel_assistance":{"title":"No dedicated travel assistance program","summary":"Quebec has no publicly funded travel or accommodation program specifically for abortion patients, though the Action Canada Access Line may offer logistical support, and general medical travel programs may apply in limited circumstances.","description":"Quebec does not have a dedicated government program to help pay for travel or accommodation when someone must leave their community — or the province — to get an abortion. The Action Canada Access Line (1-888-642-2725) can sometimes help with logistics and limited financial assistance. The province's 2024-2027 Action Plan on Access to Abortion includes some funding to improve access in underserved regions, but no new travel subsidy was announced.","verification":"verified","confidence":"medium","sources":[{"name":"Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights / Linepharma","href":"https://www.myabortionoptions.ca/abortion-in-quebec"}]}},"service_availability":{"where_available":{"title":"Hospitals and clinics in all regions","summary":"Quebec has 59 abortion points of service — the most in Canada — in hospitals, CLSCs, and private clinics across every administrative region, but about one in five residents in rural or remote areas face significant travel burdens.","description":"Every administrative region of Quebec has at least one facility providing abortion services. Most regions have at least one provider that offers both surgical abortion and the abortion pill. The province's 59 points of service include hospitals (particularly in the CIUSSS/CISSS network), CLSCs (local community service centres), and private clinics concentrated in Montreal and Quebec City. About one in five Quebecers live in rural or remote areas and may need to travel significant distances. The province's 2024-2027 Action Plan includes a new abortion clinic in Quebec City to improve regional access.","verification":"verified","confidence":"high","sources":[{"name":"Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights","href":"https://www.myabortionoptions.ca/abortion-in-quebec"},{"name":"Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada / Action Canada / LEAF","href":"https://www.abortionaccesstracker.ca/jurisdictions/quebec"}]},"gestational_service_limits":{"title":"Surgical up to ~24 weeks; medication to 9 weeks","summary":"No legal gestational limit exists, but as a matter of service policy, surgical abortion is generally available up to about 24 weeks in Quebec; later-term patients are referred out of province or to the United States.","description":"Quebec does not have a law saying how late in pregnancy an abortion can be performed. In practice, most clinics and hospitals in Quebec offer surgical abortion up to about 20-24 weeks of pregnancy, with a few facilities going to the end of the second trimester. If someone needs an abortion after that, they will likely be referred to facilities in the United States or possibly to other provinces. This is not because of a legal restriction — it is because of a shortage of providers trained in later-gestation procedures and facility policies. Medication abortion (the abortion pill) is available up to 9 weeks (63 days) of pregnancy under the provincial program.","verification":"verified","confidence":"medium","sources":[{"name":"Gouvernement du Québec","href":"https://www.quebec.ca/en/health/health-system-and-services/service-organization/abortion-services/access-abortion-services"}]}},"methods":{"procedural_surgical":{"title":"Available in hospitals and clinics province-wide","summary":"Surgical abortion is provided in hospitals, CLSCs, and private clinics across Quebec, with no facility-type restriction and full RAMQ coverage, performed by physicians.","description":"Surgical abortion — where a doctor performs a procedure to end a pregnancy — is available in many hospitals and private clinics across Quebec. It is fully covered by RAMQ. The procedure can be performed at any stage of pregnancy, though in practice most facilities offer it up to about 24 weeks. No referral is needed — you can book an appointment directly with a clinic.","verification":"semi_verified","confidence":"high","sources":[{"name":"Légis Québec","href":"https://www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/document/cs/M-9"}]},"medication":{"title":"Mifegymiso universally free up to 9 weeks","summary":"The abortion pill is free for all Quebec residents under a dedicated RAMQ program covering pregnancies up to 9 weeks, prescribed by physicians, nurse practitioners, and midwives, and dispensed by pharmacists.","description":"The abortion pill — known by its brand name Mifegymiso — is available at no cost to anyone with a Quebec health insurance card. You can get a prescription from a doctor, a nurse practitioner, or a midwife. Quebec is the only province where midwives can prescribe it. The medication is approved for use up to 9 weeks (63 days) of pregnancy and is dispensed at a pharmacy. Unlike in the past, you no longer need to take the medication in front of a doctor — you can take the second set of pills at home. You can also get a prescription through a telehealth (virtual) appointment.","verification":"verified","confidence":"high","sources":[{"name":"Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec","href":"https://www.ramq.gouv.qc.ca/en/about-us/programs-free-access-medications-supplies-services"},{"name":"Publications du Québec","href":"https://www.publicationsduquebec.gouv.qc.ca/fileadmin/gazette/pdf_encrypte/lois_reglements/2017A/103262.pdf"}]},"self_managed":{"title":"No criminal exposure; drug-importation limits apply","summary":"A person who self-manages an abortion in Quebec faces no criminal liability under federal law, but importing abortion medication without a prescription may violate Health Canada regulations and professional regulatory rules.","description":"If someone in Quebec ends their own pregnancy using abortion pills obtained outside the formal health system — for example, ordered online from abroad — they are not committing a crime. Since 2019, there has been no criminal law against abortion in Canada. However, importing prescription drugs without authorization can violate the federal Food and Drugs Act, and a health professional who helps someone obtain abortion pills outside the regulatory system could face discipline from their professional order. In practice, the main legal risk concerns importation and unauthorized distribution, not self-administration.","verification":"semi_verified","confidence":"high","sources":[{"name":"Justice Laws Website","href":"https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-46/section-223.html"}]}},"providers_and_regulation":{"who_may_provide":{"title":"Physicians, NPs, midwives may prescribe; only physicians may perform","summary":"Physicians, nurse practitioners, and (uniquely in Quebec) midwives may prescribe Mifegymiso; only physicians may perform surgical abortion; pharmacists dispense Mifegymiso.","description":"In Quebec, three types of professionals can prescribe the abortion pill: doctors, nurse practitioners, and midwives (Quebec is the only province where midwives have prescribing authority for medication abortion). Only doctors — specifically physicians — can perform surgical abortions. Pharmacists can dispense Mifegymiso at any community pharmacy. No referral from another doctor is required to access abortion services.","verification":"semi_verified","confidence":"high","sources":[{"name":"Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights","href":"https://www.actioncanadashr.org/resources/factsheets-guidelines/2024-02-22-mifegymiso-asking-abortion-pocket-guide"}]},"conscience_and_referral":{"title":"Duty to inform and assist but no explicit 'effective referral'","summary":"The Quebec Code of Ethics of Physicians requires objecting physicians to inform the patient and offer to help find another physician, but the text stops short of the explicit 'effective referral' standard adopted by Ontario and upheld in Christian Medical and Dental Society v College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario.","description":"In Quebec, a doctor who objects to providing an abortion on moral or religious grounds must tell the patient that other options exist and offer to help the patient find another doctor. This is required by the Code of Ethics of Physicians, which is enforced by the Collège des médecins du Québec. However, the Quebec rule does not use the phrase 'effective referral,' and the wording 'offer to help the patient find another physician' is arguably less demanding than Ontario's standard, which requires the physician to take positive steps to ensure the patient actually reaches a willing provider. There is no separate statute in Quebec explicitly governing conscientious objection in reproductive health care.","verification":"verified","confidence":"medium","sources":[{"name":"Légis Québec","href":"https://www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/document/cr/M-9,%20r.%2017"}]},"institutional_refusal":{"title":"No public institutional refusal in Quebec","summary":"Quebec's secular health system structure means that, unlike some other provinces, there are no publicly funded faith-based hospitals or health authorities that formally decline to provide abortion services.","description":"Quebec's health system is organized on a secular basis. Unlike in Ontario or Alberta, where publicly funded Catholic hospitals may decline to provide certain reproductive services, Quebec's health institutions do not have faith-based governance structures that permit institutional refusal of abortion. Individual doctors may still decline to provide abortion on grounds of conscience, but the institution as a whole does not refuse. This reflects Quebec's broader policy of laïcité (secularism) in public institutions.","verification":"semi_verified","confidence":"high","sources":[{"name":"Légis Québec","href":"https://www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/document/cs/G-1.021"}]}},"safe_access_zones":{"title":"50-metre security perimeter by statute","summary":"Since 2016, Quebec law has established a 50-metre security perimeter around facilities providing voluntary termination of pregnancy services, prohibiting hindering access and regulating demonstrations, with fines for violations.","description":"Quebec law protects people accessing or providing abortion services by establishing a 50-metre safe-access zone around facilities where abortions are performed. Inside this zone, it is illegal to block access, harass patients or staff, or hold demonstrations related to abortion. The law was enacted in 2016 as part of Bill 92 and applies automatically to all facilities providing abortion services — facilities do not need to apply individually for the zone. Violators face fines. Quebec courts have upheld the law against constitutional challenges.","verification":"verify_before_publication","confidence":"high","sources":[{"name":"Publications du Québec","href":"https://www.publicationsduquebec.gouv.qc.ca/fileadmin/Fichiers_client/lois_et_reglements/LoisAnnuelles/en/2016/2016C28A.PDF"},{"name":"CBC News","href":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ICy47f4kzI"}]},"minors":{"consent_capacity":{"title":"Minor 14+ may consent alone","summary":"Under the Civil Code of Québec, art. 14, a minor aged 14 or older may consent alone to abortion as care required by the state of their health, without parental knowledge or authorization.","description":"In Quebec, a person aged 14 or older can consent to an abortion on their own. They do not need a parent's permission, and the clinic does not have to tell the parents. For someone under 14, a parent or legal guardian must give consent — but the minor's own views must still be considered. If the minor and parent disagree, a CLSC worker can help, and ultimately a court can decide. There is no law requiring parental notification for abortion at any age.","verification":"verified","confidence":"high","sources":[{"name":"Légis Québec","href":"https://www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/document/lc/CCQ-1991"},{"name":"Gouvernement du Québec","href":"https://www.quebec.ca/en/health/health-system-and-services/service-organization/abortion-services/access-abortion-services"}]},"confidentiality":{"title":"No parental access to minor 14+ records","summary":"Under Quebec health-information law, parents are not entitled to access the medical records of a minor aged 14 or older who has independently consented to care, including abortion.","description":"Parents cannot access the abortion-related medical records of a minor aged 14 or older, because under Quebec law the minor who can independently consent also controls the confidentiality of their health information. For a minor under 14, the person with parental authority generally has access to medical records. The Act respecting health and social services information, which came into force in 2024, governs health-information privacy in Quebec.","verification":"semi_verified","confidence":"high","sources":[{"name":"Éducaloi","href":"https://educaloi.qc.ca/en/capsules/medical-decisions-for-children-14-to-17-years-old"}]}},"fetal_status_and_paternal_rights":{"civil_fetal_status":{"title":"No fetal personhood; born-alive rule applies","summary":"Under the Civil Code of Québec and binding authority of Tremblay v Daigle, a fetus has no juridical personality, cannot be the victim of a wrongful-death action or civil claim, and acquires rights only upon being born alive.","description":"A fetus is not considered a legal person in Quebec. This means no one can bring a wrongful-death lawsuit for the loss of a fetus, and a fetus does not have rights that could be used to challenge an abortion. The Supreme Court of Canada settled this in Tremblay v Daigle in 1989, holding that under both the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms and the Civil Code of Québec, a fetus is not a 'human being' with legal rights. This position was later reaffirmed nationally in Dobson v Dobson (1999) and Winnipeg Child and Family Services v G (1997). A child who is injured before birth can sue for those injuries after being born alive, but no claim exists for the death of the fetus itself.","verification":"semi_verified","confidence":"high","sources":[{"name":"Supreme Court of Canada / CanLII","href":"https://www.canlii.org/en/ca/scc/doc/1989/1989canlii33/1989canlii33.html"},{"name":"CanLII","href":"https://www.canlii.org/t/1fqxr"}]},"paternal_rights":{"title":"Father cannot prevent an abortion","summary":"Under Tremblay v Daigle, the biological father has no legal standing to seek an injunction preventing an abortion, and no Quebec law grants a father or partner veto or consultation rights.","description":"In Quebec, the person who is pregnant makes the decision about abortion. The biological father, or any other partner, has no legal right to prevent or delay an abortion. The Supreme Court of Canada made this clear in the 1989 Tremblay v Daigle case, which specifically involved a Quebec father trying to stop his former partner's abortion. The Court ruled that a father has no legal interest that would allow him to block an abortion. Quebec has never attempted to pass legislation giving partners any role in the abortion decision.","verification":"semi_verified","confidence":"high","sources":[{"name":"Éducaloi","href":"https://educaloi.qc.ca/en/capsules/abortion"},{"name":"CanLII","href":"https://www.canlii.org/en/ca/scc/doc/1989/1989canlii33/1989canlii33.html"}]},"pregnancy_and_state_intervention":{"title":"State cannot detain pregnant person for fetal protection","summary":"Per Winnipeg Child and Family Services v G, the state cannot detain or compel treatment of a pregnant person to protect the fetus, and the Quebec Youth Protection Act does not apply to unborn children.","description":"In Canada, the government cannot force a pregnant person to follow medical advice, undergo treatment, or be detained to protect the fetus. The Supreme Court ruled this clearly in 1997. Quebec's Youth Protection Act only applies to children who have been born — it cannot be used by child-protection authorities to intervene before birth. So even if someone's behaviour during pregnancy could harm the fetus, the state cannot legally detain or treat them against their will.","verification":"semi_verified","confidence":"high","sources":[{"name":"CanLII","href":"https://www.canlii.org/t/1fqxr"},{"name":"Légis Québec","href":"https://www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/document/cs/P-34.1"}]}},"telehealth_and_interjurisdictional":{"telehealth":{"title":"Telehealth prescribing permitted","summary":"Quebec physicians and nurse practitioners may prescribe Mifegymiso via telehealth, subject to Collège des médecins guidance, and the medication can be dispensed by any community pharmacy.","description":"You can get a prescription for the abortion pill through a virtual (telehealth) appointment in Quebec. The Collège des médecins du Québec has lifted earlier restrictions on telehealth prescribing for abortion medication. Once you have a prescription, you can pick up the medication at any pharmacy. This means that people in rural or remote areas can access medication abortion without travelling long distances for an in-person visit. However, you need to be physically in Quebec (or have a Quebec prescriber and Quebec RAMQ coverage) for the universal free coverage to apply.","verification":"verify_before_publication","confidence":"medium","sources":[{"name":"Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights","href":"https://www.myabortionoptions.ca/abortion-in-quebec"}]},"cross_border_patients":{"title":"Quebec residents face cost barriers out of province","summary":"Quebec residents who obtain abortions in other provinces pay up front and are reimbursed only at Quebec rates; non-residents seeking abortion in Quebec must pay unless covered by the Interim Federal Health Program.","description":"If a Quebec resident travels to another province or the United States for an abortion — for example, because they need a later-gestation procedure not available locally — they must pay the full cost themselves and then apply to RAMQ for reimbursement. RAMQ only pays back the amount it would have paid for the same service in Quebec, which is often far less than what was charged. The patient is responsible for the difference. For abortions in the United States, reimbursement for hospital services is capped at $100 per day of hospitalization plus Quebec-rate physician fees, which leaves patients with enormous out-of-pocket costs. For non-residents coming to Quebec for an abortion, Quebec clinics will generally charge the full cost unless the person is covered by the Interim Federal Health Program (for refugees and asylum seekers).","verification":"semi_verified","confidence":"high","sources":[{"name":"Centre de santé des femmes de Montréal","href":"https://csfmontreal.qc.ca/en/services/abortion"}]}}},"recent_changes":[{"date":"2015-07-29","event":"Health Canada approves Mifegymiso (mifepristone/misoprostol) for medication abortion.","sources":[{"name":"Government of Canada","href":"https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/drug-products/prescription-drug-list/notice-multiple-additions.html"}]},{"date":"2016-12-07","event":"Bill 92 (SQ 2016, c 28) receives royal assent, creating 50-metre safe-access zones around abortion facilities and strengthening enforcement against unlawful billing.","sources":[{"name":"Publications du Québec","href":"https://www.publicationsduquebec.gouv.qc.ca/fileadmin/Fichiers_client/lois_et_reglements/LoisAnnuelles/en/2016/2016C28A.PDF"}]},{"date":"2017-07-06","event":"Quebec announces universal free access to Mifegymiso; Order in Council 1249-2017 establishes the program under RAMQ.","sources":[{"name":"Global News","href":"https://globalnews.ca/news/3579423/abortion-pill-to-be-available-free-in-quebec"}]},{"date":"2018-00-00","event":"Quebec Superior Court upholds the 50-metre safe-access-zone law against constitutional challenges.","sources":[{"name":"CBC News","href":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ICy47f4kzI"}]},{"date":"2019-06-21","event":"Parliament repeals Criminal Code ss. 287-288 (the former abortion offences) through Bill C-75, eliminating any residual criminal-law framework for abortion.","sources":[{"name":"Parliament of Canada / Justice Laws Website","href":"https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/AnnualStatutes/2019_25/"}]},{"date":"2021-01-25","event":"Act to amend the Nurses Act and other provisions (SQ 2021, c 2) comes into effect, expanding nurse practitioner scope of practice to facilitate access to health services including medication abortion.","sources":[{"name":"McGill University","href":"https://www.mcgill.ca/nursing/article/new-legislation-brings-big-changes-quebec-nurse-practitioners-and-patients"}]},{"date":"2024-11-18","event":"Quebec announces its first-ever Government Action Plan on Access to Abortion 2024-2027, with $7.5 million in funding, including a new abortion clinic in Quebec City and improved information campaigns.","sources":[{"name":"CBC News","href":"https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/quebec-abortion-access-plan-1.7386090"}]},{"date":"2025-00-00","event":"Quebec abortion pill prescriptions increase 80% as access barriers fall, driven by telehealth expansion and relaxed prescribing restrictions.","sources":[{"name":"CBC News","href":"https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/abortion-pill-quebec-increase-9.7085201"}]},{"date":"2025-02-20","event":"Quebec Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette withdraws Section 29 of Bill 1 (Quebec Constitution Act), which would have constitutionally guaranteed abortion rights, citing a desire to avoid constitutional litigation.","sources":[{"name":"The Tribune","href":"https://www.thetribune.ca/news/the-tribune-explains/the-tribune-explains-abortion-rights-in-the-quebec-constitution-act10032026"}]}],"pending_changes":[{"name":"Government Action Plan on Access to Abortion 2024-2027","type":"policy","status":"In implementation; new Quebec City clinic and information campaigns underway","effect":"Improved geographic access through a new clinic in Quebec City, better information on contraception and abortion, and measures to combat misinformation — but no legal or regulatory changes.","sources":[{"name":"CBC News","href":"https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/quebec-abortion-access-plan-1.7386090"}]},{"name":"Bill 1 — Quebec Constitution Act","type":"legislation","status":"Section 29 (abortion rights guarantee) withdrawn February 2025; bill remains before National Assembly in amended form","effect":"If re-introduced in future, a constitutional guarantee of abortion rights in Quebec would add a symbolic provincial-constitutional layer of protection, though its practical legal impact is unclear given existing federal constitutional protections.","sources":[{"name":"Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada","href":"https://sogc.org/en/en/content/featured-news/SOGC-Statement-on-Quebec-s-Bill-No-1-and-the-Right-to-Abortion.aspx"}]}],"key_authorities":[{"name":"Tremblay v Daigle","citation":"Tremblay v Daigle, [1989] 2 SCR 530","type":"case","url":"https://www.canlii.org/en/ca/scc/doc/1989/1989canlii33/1989canlii33.html","why":"Definitive ruling that a fetus is not a person under Quebec civil law or the Quebec Charter, and that a father has no standing to prevent an abortion."},{"name":"R v Morgentaler (1988)","citation":"R v Morgentaler, [1988] 1 SCR 30","type":"case","url":"https://www.canlii.org/en/ca/scc/doc/1988/1988canlii90/1988canlii90.html","why":"Struck down Criminal Code s. 287 as violating s. 7 of the Charter, ending criminal prohibition of abortion in Canada."},{"name":"R v Morgentaler (1993)","citation":"R v Morgentaler, [1993] 1 SCR 462","type":"case","url":"https://www.canlii.org/en/ca/scc/doc/1993/1993canlii74/1993canlii74.html","why":"Held that provincial legislation restricting abortion is ultra vires as colourable criminal law, defining the constitutional limits on provincial action."},{"name":"Association pour l'accès à l'avortement c Québec","citation":"Association pour l'accès à l'avortement c Québec (Procureur général), 2006 QCCS 4694","type":"case","url":"https://www.globalhealthrights.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/SCQ-2006-Associaton-pour-lAcces-Eng.pdf","why":"Class-action judgment ordering Quebec to reimburse over $13 million to women charged illegal facility fees for clinic abortions; confirmed that abortion is fully insured."},{"name":"Winnipeg Child and Family Services v G","citation":"Winnipeg Child and Family Services (Northwest Area) v G (DF), [1997] 3 SCR 925","type":"case","url":"https://www.canlii.org/t/1fqxr","why":"Held the state cannot detain or compel treatment of a pregnant person to protect the fetus; affirmed no fetal legal personhood in Canadian law."},{"name":"Civil Code of Québec — Consent to Care (arts. 14-18)","citation":"Civil Code of Québec, CQLR c CCQ-1991, arts. 14-18","type":"statute","url":"https://www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/document/lc/CCQ-1991","why":"Establishes that minors aged 14+ may independently consent to care required by their health, including abortion."},{"name":"SQ 2016, c 28 — Safe Access Zones and Anti-Extra-Billing","citation":"An Act to extend the powers of the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec, regulate commercial practices relating to prescription drugs and protect access to voluntary termination of pregnancy services, SQ 2016, c 28","type":"statute","url":"https://www.publicationsduquebec.gouv.qc.ca/fileadmin/Fichiers_client/lois_et_reglements/LoisAnnuelles/en/2016/2016C28A.PDF","why":"Created 50-metre safe-access zones and strengthened enforcement against unlawful billing for abortion services."},{"name":"Health Insurance Act","citation":"Health Insurance Act, CQLR c A-29","type":"statute","url":"https://www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/document/cs/A-29","why":"Makes abortion an insured service and prohibits extra-billing by health professionals."},{"name":"Order in Council 1249-2017 — Mifegymiso Universal Coverage","citation":"Order in Council 1249-2017, (2017) 149 GOQ II, 4829","type":"regulation","url":"https://www.publicationsduquebec.gouv.qc.ca/fileadmin/gazette/pdf_encrypte/lois_reglements/2017A/103262.pdf","why":"Establishes the program providing free universal access to Mifegymiso for pregnancies up to 9 weeks."},{"name":"Code of Ethics of Physicians, s. 24 — Conscientious Objection","citation":"Code of Ethics of Physicians, CQLR c M-9, r 17, s. 24","type":"regulator_policy","url":"https://www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/document/cr/M-9,%20r.%2017","why":"Requires objecting physicians to inform patients and offer to help them find another provider."},{"name":"Dobson v Dobson","citation":"Dobson (Litigation Guardian of) v Dobson, [1999] 2 SCR 753","type":"case","url":"https://www.canlii.org/en/ca/scc/doc/1999/1999canlii698/1999canlii698.html","why":"Held that a mother owes no tort duty of care to her fetus, immunizing pregnant persons from negligence liability for prenatal injury."},{"name":"Constitution Act, 1867 — Division of Powers","citation":"Constitution Act, 1867 (UK), 30 & 31 Vict, c 3, ss. 91-92","type":"constitution","url":"https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/Const/page-1.html","why":"Assigns criminal law exclusively to Parliament (s. 91(27)) and health, hospitals, property and civil rights to the provinces (s. 92(7), (13), (16)), defining what Quebec can and cannot do regarding abortion."},{"name":"Act respecting health services and social services","citation":"Act respecting health services and social services, CQLR c S-4.2","type":"statute","url":"https://www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/document/cs/S-4.2","why":"Governs health facility standards in Quebec; amended by SQ 2016 c 28 to establish safe-access zones and prohibit hindering access."}],"research_notes":{"overall_confidence":"high","editor_notes":"Verify the consolidated section numbers in CQLR c S-4.2 establishing the 50-metre security perimeter by reading the most current version of S-4.2 on Légis Québec. Confirm the 2018 Quebec Superior Court case name and citation for the safe-access-zone constitutional challenge. The Abortion Access Tracker figure of 59 points of service should be cross-referenced with the Quebec government's own provider directory. The 2025-03-30 RAMQ update to the Mifegymiso universal-access program page suggests the program documents were recently refreshed — verify no substantive changes were made. Bill 1's status and any reintroduction of abortion-rights provisions should be monitored.","gaps":["The exact consolidated section numbers in CQLR c S-4.2 for the 50-metre security perimeter provisions could not be independently verified from the native Légis Québec text. The PDF of SQ 2016 c 28 confirms the existence of the amendments but does not show the final section numbers.","The specific 2018 Quebec Superior Court docket number and citation for the constitutional challenge to the safe-access-zone law were not located; the existence of the court ruling was confirmed from secondary sources only.","The precise gestational age cutoffs at individual Quebec facilities vary and were not systematically verified from each facility — the 24-week figure is an approximation drawn from clinic directories and secondary sources.","The Collège des médecins du Québec's telehealth prescribing policy update was referenced in secondary sources but the exact policy document and effective date were not retrieved from the Collège's website.","Whether the 2024-2027 Action Plan includes any travel subsidy or reimbursement for patients needing to travel for abortion services could not be confirmed from publicly available summaries."]}}