--- title: "Quebec — abortion access" 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…" type: "legislation" jurisdiction: "Quebec" as_of_date: "2026-07-13" source_url: "https://www.abhortion.org/legislation/ca-qc.html" --- # Quebec — abortion access _Quebec · Canada_ ## Overview **Broad access, fully funded, 59 points of service** 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. 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. > "The Act respecting health services and social services is amended to prohibit hindering a person from having access to a place where health services or social services are provided and to regulate demonstrations near places where voluntary termination of pregnancy services are provided." > — 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 **Legal analysis** Quebec's abortion access framework rests on three pillars: (1) the Health Insurance Act, CQLR c A-29, and related Orders in Council making abortion an insured service, with a 2006 class-action judgment (Association pour l'accès à l'avortement c Québec (Procureur général), 2006 QCCS 4694) confirming that private clinics may not charge facility fees to insured persons; (2) Bill 92, SQ 2016 c 28, which amended the Act respecting health services and social services to create a 50-metre security perimeter around abortion-providing facilities and the Health Insurance Act to strengthen enforcement against unlawful billing; and (3) the Civil Code of Québec, art. 14, which gives minors aged 14+ independent consent authority for care required by their state of health. Quebec's 2024-2027 Government Action Plan on Access to Abortion, with $7.5 million in funding, marks the province's first systematic policy framework for abortion access, including a new clinic in Quebec City. *Sources — Verified at source · High confidence · 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, Explanatory Notes, p. 3, [Publications du Québec](https://www.publicationsduquebec.gouv.qc.ca/fileadmin/Fichiers_client/lois_et_reglements/LoisAnnuelles/en/2016/2016C28A.PDF) · Association pour l'accès à l'avortement c Québec (Procureur général), 2006 QCCS 4694, para. 1, [CanLII](https://www.globalhealthrights.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/SCQ-2006-Associaton-pour-lAcces-Eng.pdf)* ## At a glance Every machine-readable determination in the research document. Each value is derived from a sourced finding below. | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Access classification | Broad access | | Criminal restrictions | No | | Restriction attempts present or past | Yes | | Insured service | Fully insured | | Clinic abortions funded | Yes | | Reciprocal billing covered | No | | Travel assistance program | No | | Services locally available | Hospitals and clinics | | Surgical service limit weeks | 24 | | Medication abortion available | Yes | | Mifegymiso universally covered | Yes | | Telehealth prescribing available | Yes | | Safe access zone law | Yes | | Effective referral required | No | | Institutional objection present | No | | Minor consent regime | Statutory age | | Statutory consent age | 14 | | Parental involvement required | No | | Fetal wrongful death action | No | | Major pending change | Yes | ## Division of powers **Province controls access through health and regulation** 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. 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. > "The primary objective of the impugned legislation is to prohibit abortions...This demonstrates a purpose to prohibit or restrict abortions as a socially undesirable practice which is the same purpose as the criminal law." > — R v Morgentaler, [1993] 1 SCR 462 **Legal analysis** The division of powers under the Constitution Act, 1867 places criminal law exclusively within federal jurisdiction (s. 91(27)). R v Morgentaler, [1988] 1 SCR 30 struck down Criminal Code s. 287 (formerly s. 251) as violating s. 7 of the Charter; Parliament repealed ss. 287-288 in 2019 (former Bill C-75). R v Morgentaler, [1993] 1 SCR 462 further held that a provincial attempt to restrict abortion through facility regulation was ultra vires the province as colourable criminal law. The levers remaining to Quebec are: (a) health insurance coverage under the Health Insurance Act, CQLR c A-29 and the Hospital Insurance Act, CQLR c A-28; (b) professional regulation through the Professional Code, CQLR c C-26 and profession-specific statutes; (c) health facility regulation under the Act respecting health services and social services, CQLR c S-4.2; and (d) civil law consent rules under the Civil Code of Québec. Quebec's 2016 safe-access-zone law (SQ 2016 c 28) was enacted under the province's powers over health, property and civil rights, and municipal institutions. *Sources — Semi-verified · High confidence · R v Morgentaler, [1993] 1 SCR 462, headnote, [Supreme Court of Canada](https://www.canlii.org/en/ca/scc/doc/1993/1993canlii74/1993canlii74.html) · Constitution Act, 1867 (UK), 30 & 31 Vict, c 3, ss. 91-92, s. 91(27), [Justice Laws Website](https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/Const/page-1.html)* **Editor's note.** Status set by the research runner: the claim matched search-result snippets, but none of the cited pages were opened in full during research. Confirm the quoted text at the cited URL before publication. ## Current status **Fully legal, fully insured, 50-metre safe-access zone** 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. 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. > "This program is intended for Quebeckers who wish to terminate a pregnancy of 9 weeks or less to access the medication free of charge." > — Order in Council 1249-2017, (2017) 149 GOQ II, 4829 **Legal analysis** The current operative framework consists of: (1) Health Insurance Act, CQLR c A-29 and its regulations, which make abortion an insured service and prohibit extra-billing (s. 22.0.1); (2) Hospital Insurance Act, CQLR c A-28, covering hospital-based abortion; (3) Act respecting health services and social services, CQLR c S-4.2, as amended by SQ 2016 c 28 to create a 50-metre security perimeter around facilities where voluntary termination of pregnancy services are provided; (4) Order in Council 1249-2017 and the associated RAMQ program providing universal free Mifegymiso up to 9 weeks; (5) Code of Ethics of Physicians, CQLR c M-9, r 17, s. 24, which governs conscientious objection; (6) Civil Code of Québec, art. 14, establishing independent minor consent at age 14 for care required by the state of health. The Government Action Plan on Access to Abortion 2024-2027 (announced November 2024, $7.5 million) is the first systematic provincial policy framework explicitly addressing abortion access. *Sources — Verified at source · High confidence · Order in Council 1249-2017, (2017) 149 GOQ II, 4829, [Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec](https://www.ramq.gouv.qc.ca/en/about-us/programs-free-access-medications-supplies-services)* ## Funding and insurance ### Provincial health plan **Abortion fully insured under RAMQ** 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. 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. > "Both the abortion pill and surgical abortions are covered by Quebec's provincial health insurance, RAMQ. If you have a Quebec health card or are seeking asylum in Quebec, there are no fees for either abortion option." > — Health Insurance Act, CQLR c A-29 **Legal analysis** Abortion is an insured service under the Health Insurance Act, CQLR c A-29, which provides coverage for medically necessary services rendered by physicians. Section 22.0.1 of the Act, as amended by SQ 2016 c 28, prohibits health professionals from exacting payment beyond the RAMQ tariff from insured persons. The Hospital Insurance Act, CQLR c A-28 provides parallel coverage for hospital-based procedures. The 2006 class-action judgment in Association pour l'accès à l'avortement c Québec (Procureur général), 2006 QCCS 4694 established that private abortion clinics could not charge facility or accessory fees to insured patients, resulting in over $13 million in reimbursements to approximately 45,000 women who had been charged between 1999 and 2006. The Canada Health Act, RSC 1985, c C-6, s. 18 prohibits extra-billing and user charges for insured services; Quebec has not faced CHA deductions specifically for abortion-related charges in recent years. *Sources — Semi-verified · High confidence · Health Insurance Act, CQLR c A-29, s. 7, [Légis Québec](https://www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/document/cs/a-29) · Association pour l'accès à l'avortement c Québec (Procureur général), 2006 QCCS 4694, [Trudel Johnston & Lespérance](https://tjl.quebec/en/class-actions/access-to-abortion)* **Editor's note.** Status set by the research runner: the claim matched search-result snippets, but none of the cited pages were opened in full during research. Confirm the quoted text at the cited URL before publication. ### Clinic vs hospital funding **Fully funded, clinics and hospitals** All abortions, whether performed in hospitals, CLSCs, or free-standing private clinics, are publicly funded by RAMQ without any facility-type exclusion. 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. > "In Québec, women can obtain an abortion in CLSC facilities subsidized by the government and even in women's health facilities and in certain medical clinics." > — Association pour l'accès à l'avortement c Québec (Procureur général), 2006 QCCS 4694 **Legal analysis** Unlike New Brunswick's former Regulation 84-20 Schedule 2, which excluded out-of-hospital abortions from the definition of entitled services (successfully challenged in Morgentaler v New Brunswick, 2009 NBCA 26), Quebec has never maintained a regulatory exclusion for clinic-based abortions. The Health Insurance Act makes no distinction between hospital and out-of-hospital abortion services. The 2006 Superior Court judgment in Association pour l'accès à l'avortement confirmed that facility fees and accessory charges at private clinics violated the Health Insurance Act's prohibition on extra-billing. Quebec operates approximately 49 abortion clinics, the highest number of any province, alongside hospital-based services. *Sources — Semi-verified · High confidence · Association pour l'accès à l'avortement c Québec (Procureur général), 2006 QCCS 4694, para. 3, [Global Health Rights Database](https://www.globalhealthrights.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/SCQ-2006-Associaton-pour-lAcces-Eng.pdf)* **Editor's note.** Status set by the research runner: the claim matched search-result snippets, but none of the cited pages were opened in full during research. Confirm the quoted text at the cited URL before publication. ### Reciprocal billing **No reciprocal billing; limited reimbursement** 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. 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. > "We issue reimbursements for professional services at amounts not exceeding Québec rates, even if you paid more. When you receive healthcare from a private office or at a hospital, you must present your Québec Health Insurance Card. The doctor may accept the card or refuse it if they do not agree to be paid according to the applicable Québec rates." > — RAMQ, Know which services are covered outside Québec **Legal analysis** Quebec has not signed reciprocal billing agreements for medical services with other provinces. The 2015 decision by the Interprovincial Health Insurance Agreements Coordinating Committee to remove abortion from the list of services excluded from reciprocal billing therefore has no practical effect for Quebec residents treated elsewhere. Under the Health Insurance Act and RAMQ policy, professional services received in other Canadian provinces are reimbursed at 'amounts not exceeding Québec rates, even if you paid more'. Hospital services elsewhere in Canada are covered under a separate interprovincial hospital agreement, but physician fees — which constitute the bulk of abortion costs — are reimbursed only up to Quebec rates, typically creating a gap of hundreds of dollars. This is an access barrier particularly for later-gestation patients referred out of province. *Sources — Verified at source · High confidence · RAMQ, Know which services are covered outside Québec, [Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec](https://www.ramq.gouv.qc.ca/en/citizens/absence-quebec/know-which-services-are-covered-outside-quebec)* **Editor's note.** The Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada notes that the 2015 removal of abortion from the excluded-services list in the interprovincial reciprocal billing agreement has limited practical impact for Quebec residents because Quebec does not participate in reciprocal billing for medical services. ### Travel assistance **No dedicated travel assistance program** 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. 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. **Legal analysis** Unlike some provinces (e.g., Manitoba, Yukon) that operate medical travel subsidy programs, Quebec does not maintain a specific abortion travel-assistance fund. Certain general medical transportation programs exist — for example, some CIUSSS/CISSS regions may cover transportation for medically necessary services when local options are unavailable — but this is on a case-by-case basis and not uniformly applied to abortion. The RAMQ does reimburse some transportation costs for insured services under specific conditions, but this is limited and not structured as an abortion-access mechanism. *Sources — Verified at source · Medium confidence · My Abortion Options: Abortion in Quebec, [Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights / Linepharma](https://www.myabortionoptions.ca/abortion-in-quebec)* **Editor's note.** The 2024-2027 Action Plan includes $7.5 million for a range of measures including improving access; whether any portion funds patient travel has not been specified in publicly available materials. Re-check against final Action Plan details. ## Service availability ### Where available **Hospitals and clinics in all regions** 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. 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. > "Each administrative region of the province has at least one point of service for in-clinic abortions. For most of these regions, there is at least one provider that offers both a surgical abortion, and the abortion pill options." > — My Abortion Options: Abortion in Quebec **Legal analysis** Services are provided through: (a) hospital-based clinics within the public CIUSSS/CISSS network; (b) CLSCs providing medication abortion and some early procedural abortion; and (c) approximately 49 private medical clinics (including the Montreal Morgentaler Clinic) that are fully RAMQ-insured. Geographic concentration in Montreal, Quebec City, and other urban centres leaves remote regions like the Gaspé Peninsula, Côte-Nord, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, and parts of the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region with limited local options. The 2024-2027 Government Action Plan on Access to Abortion invests $7.5 million in improving geographic distribution of services. *Sources — Verified at source · High confidence · My Abortion Options: Abortion in Quebec, [Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights](https://www.myabortionoptions.ca/abortion-in-quebec) · Abortion Access Tracker: Quebec, [Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada / Action Canada / LEAF](https://www.abortionaccesstracker.ca/jurisdictions/quebec)* **Editor's note.** The Abortion Access Tracker counts 59 'publicly listed' points of service but notes the figure does not include all primary care providers who prescribe medication abortion. Actual availability may be higher. ### Gestational service limits **Surgical up to ~24 weeks; medication to 9 weeks** 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. 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. > "A surgical abortion is legal at any stage of pregnancy. However, services may vary from one facility to the next. It may be necessary to go to another region." > — Quebec Government: Access to Abortion Services **Legal analysis** No statute or regulation in Quebec imposes a gestational age limit on abortion. The absence of a legal limit is the direct consequence of the Supreme Court's decision in R v Morgentaler, [1988] 1 SCR 30, which struck down the Criminal Code's therapeutic abortion committee regime, and Parliament's subsequent 2019 repeal of Criminal Code ss. 287-288. The practical limits — approximately 20-24 weeks for surgical abortion depending on the facility — are determined by provider training, facility capacity, and institutional policy, not law. Quebec's 2024 Abortion Access Action Plan acknowledges that later-term access is a gap but does not create any new legal infrastructure to address it. Patients past the service-policy cutoff are routinely directed to U.S. clinics in states where later abortion remains legal. *Sources — Verified at source · Medium confidence · Quebec Government: Access to Abortion Services, [Gouvernement du Québec](https://www.quebec.ca/en/health/health-system-and-services/service-organization/abortion-services/access-abortion-services)* **Editor's note.** Precise gestational service limits vary by facility and are not published in a central, regularly updated source. The approximate 24-week figure is consistent across clinic directories and advocacy sources. Exact cutoffs for each facility should be verified with the Quebec government's provider directory. ## Methods ### Procedural surgical **Available in hospitals and clinics province-wide** Surgical abortion is provided in hospitals, CLSCs, and private clinics across Quebec, with no facility-type restriction and full RAMQ coverage, performed by physicians. 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. **Legal analysis** Surgical abortion falls under the provision of insured services within the meaning of the Health Insurance Act, CQLR c A-29 and the Hospital Insurance Act, CQLR c A-28. The Act respecting health services and social services, CQLR c S-4.2 governs facility standards. Under Quebec's Professional Code and the Medical Act, CQLR c M-9, surgical abortion is a medical act reserved to physicians. No nurse practitioners, midwives, or other professionals are authorized to perform surgical abortion in Quebec. The procedure is not subject to any Quebec-specific facility-type regulations (e.g., requiring it to be in a hospital or prohibiting it in free-standing clinics). *Sources — Semi-verified · High confidence · Medical Act, CQLR c M-9, s. 31, [Légis Québec](https://www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/document/cs/M-9)* **Editor's note.** Status set by the research runner: the claim matched search-result snippets, but none of the cited pages were opened in full during research. Confirm the quoted text at the cited URL before publication. ### Medication **Mifegymiso universally free up to 9 weeks** 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. 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. > "Free universal access to voluntary termination of pregnancy (abortion pill). This program is intended for Quebeckers who wish to terminate a pregnancy of 9 weeks or less to access the medication free of charge." > — Programs for free access to medications, supplies and services **Legal analysis** Mifegymiso (mifepristone 200 mg / misoprostol 800 mcg) was approved by Health Canada on July 29, 2015. Health Canada progressively relaxed restrictions: in 2017, removing the requirement that the drug be dispensed and taken in front of a physician; in 2019, extending gestational use from 7 to 9 weeks; and allowing pharmacist dispensing. Quebec established the universal free access program by Order in Council 1249-2017, which makes Mifegymiso free at the point of dispensing for all persons with a valid RAMQ card, regardless of private-insurance status — a separate program from the general Prescription Drug Insurance Plan. The Collège des médecins du Québec has lifted restrictions on telehealth prescribing. Quebec's Order of Midwives (OSFQ) authorized midwives to prescribe Mifegymiso, making Quebec the first province to do so. Nurse practitioners were authorized to prescribe medication abortion following the 2017 federal regulatory change and Quebec's 2021 amendments to the Nurses Act. *Sources — Verified at source · High confidence · Programs for free access to medications, supplies and services, [Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec](https://www.ramq.gouv.qc.ca/en/about-us/programs-free-access-medications-supplies-services) · Order in Council 1249-2017, [Publications du Québec](https://www.publicationsduquebec.gouv.qc.ca/fileadmin/gazette/pdf_encrypte/lois_reglements/2017A/103262.pdf)* ### Self managed **No criminal exposure; drug-importation limits apply** 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. 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. **Legal analysis** Since the repeal of Criminal Code ss. 287-288 in 2019, there is no federal criminal offence of self-induced abortion in Canada. The born-alive rule in Criminal Code s. 223(1) applies only after birth. Potential regulatory exposure arises under: (a) the Food and Drugs Act, RSC 1985, c F-27, and its regulations, which restrict the importation of prescription drugs, including mifepristone and misoprostol, without authorization; (b) Health Canada's enforcement policy, which generally targets commercial importation rather than personal use; and (c) provincial professional regulatory frameworks — a Quebec physician, nurse, midwife, or pharmacist who provides abortion medication outside the scope of their regulated practice could face disciplinary proceedings from the Collège des médecins du Québec, Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec, Ordre des sages-femmes du Québec, or Ordre des pharmaciens du Québec, respectively. No reported Quebec case has prosecuted a person for self-managing an abortion. *Sources — Semi-verified · High confidence · Criminal Code, RSC 1985, c C-46, s. 223(1), s. 223(1), [Justice Laws Website](https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-46/section-223.html)* **Editor's note.** Status set by the research runner: the claim matched search-result snippets, but none of the cited pages were opened in full during research. Confirm the quoted text at the cited URL before publication. ## Providers and regulation ### Who may provide **Physicians, NPs, midwives may prescribe; only physicians may perform** Physicians, nurse practitioners, and (uniquely in Quebec) midwives may prescribe Mifegymiso; only physicians may perform surgical abortion; pharmacists dispense Mifegymiso. 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. > "In Canada, any doctor and nurse practitioner can prescribe medication abortion. In Quebec, midwives are also allowed." > — Mifegymiso: Asking for an Abortion Pocket Guide **Legal analysis** Scope of practice is governed by: (a) the Medical Act, CQLR c M-9, which reserves the diagnosis and treatment of illness to physicians, including performance of surgical abortion; (b) the Nurses Act, CQLR c I-8, as amended by the Act to amend the Nurses Act and other provisions in order to facilitate access to health services (SQ 2021, c 2), which authorizes specialized nurse practitioners to prescribe Mifegymiso; (c) the Midwives Act, CQLR c S-0.1, and the regulation of the Ordre des sages-femmes du Québec authorizing midwives to prescribe Mifegymiso; and (d) the Pharmacy Act, CQLR c P-10, under which pharmacists may dispense Mifegymiso upon presentation of a valid prescription. Quebec is distinct in being the only Canadian province (along with Saskatchewan, and more recently British Columbia) where midwives may independently prescribe Mifegymiso. *Sources — Semi-verified · High confidence · Mifegymiso: Asking for an Abortion Pocket Guide, [Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights](https://www.actioncanadashr.org/resources/factsheets-guidelines/2024-02-22-mifegymiso-asking-abortion-pocket-guide)* **Editor's note.** Confirm current midwife prescribing authority with the most recent regulation of the Ordre des sages-femmes du Québec. Status set by the research runner: the claim matched search-result snippets, but none of the cited pages were opened in full during research. Confirm the quoted text at the cited URL before publication. ### Conscience and referral **Duty to inform and assist but no explicit 'effective referral'** 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. 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. > "A physician must, where his personal convictions prevent him from prescribing or providing professional services that may be appropriate, acquaint his patient with such convictions and inform him of the possible consequences of not receiving such professional services; the physician must then offer to help the patient find another physician." > — Code of Ethics of Physicians, CQLR c M-9, r 17, s. 24 **Legal analysis** Section 24 of the Code of Ethics of Physicians, CQLR c M-9, r 17, provides: 'A physician must, where his personal convictions prevent him from prescribing or providing professional services that may be appropriate, acquaint his patient with such convictions and inform him of the possible consequences of not receiving such professional services; the physician must then offer to help the patient find another physician.' This was enacted by O.C. 1213-2002. Unlike Ontario's policy, which was challenged and upheld in Christian Medical and Dental Society of Canada v College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, 2019 ONCA 393, leave to appeal refused [2019] SCCA No 260, Quebec's provision requires the physician to 'offer to help the patient find another physician' — a formulation that may permit a physician to argue they satisfied the obligation by a single suggestion or gesture, though the Collège des médecins interprets the provision as requiring genuine assistance. Quebec has no freestanding conscientious-objection statute comparable to Manitoba's Medical Certificates Regulation or Ontario's statutory framework. *Sources — Verified at source · Medium confidence · Code of Ethics of Physicians, CQLR c M-9, r 17, s. 24, s. 24, [Légis Québec](https://www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/document/cr/M-9,%20r.%2017)* **Editor's note.** The distinction between 'effective referral' and 'offer to help find' is a matter of regulatory interpretation. The Collège des médecins du Québec may issue additional guidance interpreting s. 24; re-check any recent policy statements. ### Institutional refusal **No public institutional refusal in Quebec** 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. 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. **Legal analysis** The Act respecting the governance of the health and social services system, CQLR c G-1.021, established Santé Québec and integrated the CIUSSS/CISSS network under a secular governance model. There are no statutory provisions in Quebec that permit a publicly funded health institution to refuse to provide abortion on religious or moral grounds. Quebec's strong tradition of laïcité, culminating in the Act respecting the laicity of the State (SQ 2019, c 12), reinforces the secular character of health institutions. While some individual physicians may decline to provide abortion under s. 24 of the Code of Ethics, the institution must ensure access through other providers or referral mechanisms. This contrasts sharply with provinces like Ontario, where the Public Hospitals Act permits Catholic hospitals to decline reproductive services. *Sources — Semi-verified · High confidence · Act respecting the governance of the health and social services system, CQLR c G-1.021, s. 1, [Légis Québec](https://www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/document/cs/G-1.021)* **Editor's note.** While no institutional refusal exists at the governance level, individual conscientious objection by providers can create de facto access barriers in smaller communities with few providers. This is noted in the 2024-2027 Action Plan. Status set by the research runner: the claim matched search-result snippets, but none of the cited pages were opened in full during research. Confirm the quoted text at the cited URL before publication. ## Safe access zones **50-metre security perimeter by statute** 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. 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. > "The Act respecting health services and social services is amended to prohibit hindering a person from having access to a place where health services or social services are provided and to regulate demonstrations near places where voluntary termination of pregnancy services are provided." > — 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 **Legal analysis** Bill 92 (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, amended the Act respecting health services and social services, CQLR c S-4.2, to add provisions: (a) prohibiting any person from hindering access to a place where health services or social services are provided; and (b) regulating demonstrations near places where voluntary termination of pregnancy services are provided, specifically by establishing a 50-metre security perimeter. The law provides for penal fines. A Quebec Superior Court judge upheld the law as constitutional in 2018, rejecting arguments based on freedom of expression and religion. Compare R v Spratt, 2008 BCCA 340, which upheld British Columbia's Access to Abortion Services Act. Quebec's safe-access law applies province-wide and is not limited to designated clinics — every facility providing abortion services is automatically protected. *Sources — Verify before publication · High confidence · 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, Explanatory Notes, p. 3, [Publications du Québec](https://www.publicationsduquebec.gouv.qc.ca/fileadmin/Fichiers_client/lois_et_reglements/LoisAnnuelles/en/2016/2016C28A.PDF) · YouTube / CBC News: Quebec judge upholds law banning protests within 50m of abortion clinics, [CBC News](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ICy47f4kzI)* **Editor's note.** The exact statutory section numbers in S-4.2 that establish the 50-metre security perimeter should be located and verified. The PDF of SQ 2016 c 28 confirms the amendment but the specific consolidated section numbers in the Act respecting health services and social services were not independently confirmed. ## Minors ### Consent capacity **Minor 14+ may consent alone** 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. 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. > "A minor 14 years of age or over may give his consent alone to such care." > — Civil Code of Québec, CQLR c CCQ-1991, art. 14 **Legal analysis** Article 14 of the Civil Code of Québec provides: 'Consent to care required by the state of health of a minor is given by the person having parental authority or by the tutor. A minor 14 years of age or over, however, may give his consent alone to such care.' Article 16 further requires that where a minor under 14 is concerned, the consent of the person having parental authority must be obtained, but the minor's views must be taken into consideration. The Quebec government's official guidance confirms that adolescents aged 14 and older 'do not need permission from their parents to get an abortion.' Under art. 17, where a minor under 14 requires care and the parents refuse consent or cannot be reached in time, a court may authorize the care. For minors under 14, the parents or guardian must provide consent, but the decision must be made in the adolescent's interest and taking into account the adolescent's opinion. This framework is unique in Canada in establishing a bright-line statutory age for medical consent (14) rather than leaving it entirely to the common-law mature-minor doctrine. *Sources — Verified at source · High confidence · Civil Code of Québec, CQLR c CCQ-1991, art. 14, art. 14, para. 2, [Légis Québec](https://www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/document/lc/CCQ-1991) · Quebec Government: Access to Abortion Services, [Gouvernement du Québec](https://www.quebec.ca/en/health/health-system-and-services/service-organization/abortion-services/access-abortion-services)* ### Confidentiality **No parental access to minor 14+ records** 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. 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. > "The parents or a guardian of children 14 to 17 are not informed when these children receive care necessary for their health." > — Medical Decisions for Children 14 to 17 Years Old **Legal analysis** The Act respecting health and social services information, CQLR c R-22.1 (formerly Bill 5, SQ 2023, c 5), governs the confidentiality of health and social services information. Under art. 14 of the Civil Code, a minor 14+ who independently consents to care also holds the right to control access to their health information as an incident of that autonomous consent. The holder of parental authority does not have automatic access to the medical records of a minor 14+ who has consented alone to care. For minors under 14, the person having parental authority generally exercises the rights relating to health information on the minor's behalf. The Quebec government's official guidance confirms that parents 'are not informed when these children receive care necessary for their health.' Exceptions exist where the minor's health or safety is at serious risk. *Sources — Semi-verified · High confidence · Medical Decisions for Children 14 to 17 Years Old, [Éducaloi](https://educaloi.qc.ca/en/capsules/medical-decisions-for-children-14-to-17-years-old)* **Editor's note.** Status set by the research runner: the claim matched search-result snippets, but none of the cited pages were opened in full during research. Confirm the quoted text at the cited URL before publication. ## Fetal status and paternal rights ### Civil fetal status **No fetal personhood; born-alive rule applies** 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. 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. > "A foetus is not a person, either under the Civil Code of Québec or the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms." > — Tremblay v Daigle, [1989] 2 SCR 530 **Legal analysis** Tremblay v Daigle, [1989] 2 SCR 530 is the controlling authority. The Supreme Court held: 'A foetus is not a person, either under the Civil Code of Québec or the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms.' The Court reasoned that the Civil Code grants juridical personality only to those born alive and viable, consistent with the born-alive rule. Under art. 1 of the Civil Code of Québec: 'Every human being possesses juridical personality and has the full enjoyment of civil rights.' The jurisprudence has consistently interpreted 'human being' to mean a person already born. Dobson (Litigation Guardian of) v Dobson, [1999] 2 SCR 753 further held that a mother owes no tort duty of care to her fetus, on public-policy grounds. Winnipeg Child and Family Services (Northwest Area) v G (DF), [1997] 3 SCR 925 held that the state cannot detain a pregnant woman to protect her fetus, as 'the law of Canada does not recognize the unborn child as a legal person possessing rights.' The federal born-alive rule is codified in Criminal Code s. 223(1): 'A child becomes a human being...when it has completely proceeded, in a living state, from the body of its mother.' No Quebec wrongful-death statute creates an exception for fetuses. *Sources — Semi-verified · High confidence · Tremblay v Daigle, [1989] 2 SCR 530, headnote, [Supreme Court of Canada / CanLII](https://www.canlii.org/en/ca/scc/doc/1989/1989canlii33/1989canlii33.html) · Winnipeg Child and Family Services (Northwest Area) v G (DF), [1997] 3 SCR 925, [CanLII](https://www.canlii.org/t/1fqxr)* **Editor's note.** Status set by the research runner: the claim matched search-result snippets, but none of the cited pages were opened in full during research. Confirm the quoted text at the cited URL before publication. ### Paternal rights **Father cannot prevent an abortion** 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. 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. > "You don't need your sexual partner's permission to get an abortion." > — Abortion: Free and Legal Throughout Pregnancy **Legal analysis** Tremblay v Daigle, [1989] 2 SCR 530 definitively resolved this question. Mr. Tremblay sought an injunction to prevent Ms. Daigle from obtaining an abortion, arguing that a fetus has a right to life under the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms and that he, as the potential father, had an interest in protecting that right. The Supreme Court unanimously held: (1) the fetus is not a 'human being' under the Quebec Charter; (2) a father has no legal standing to interfere with a woman's decision to terminate a pregnancy; and (3) the injunction was improperly granted. The Quebec government's official guidance states: 'You don't need your sexual partner's permission to get an abortion.' No Quebec legislation has attempted to create paternal involvement rights in abortion decisions since Tremblay. *Sources — Semi-verified · High confidence · Abortion: Free and Legal Throughout Pregnancy, [Éducaloi](https://educaloi.qc.ca/en/capsules/abortion) · Tremblay v Daigle, [1989] 2 SCR 530, headnote, [CanLII](https://www.canlii.org/en/ca/scc/doc/1989/1989canlii33/1989canlii33.html)* **Editor's note.** Status set by the research runner: the claim matched search-result snippets, but none of the cited pages were opened in full during research. Confirm the quoted text at the cited URL before publication. ### Pregnancy and state intervention **State cannot detain pregnant person for fetal protection** 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. 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. > "The law of Canada does not recognize the unborn child as a legal person possessing rights. This is a general proposition applicable to all aspects of the law." > — Winnipeg Child and Family Services (Northwest Area) v G (DF), [1997] 3 SCR 925 **Legal analysis** Winnipeg Child and Family Services (Northwest Area) v G (DF), [1997] 3 SCR 925 held that the parens patriae jurisdiction of courts does not extend to the protection of an unborn child, as the law of Canada does not recognize the unborn child as a legal person possessing rights. The majority further held that extending tort law or parens patriae jurisdiction to compel a pregnant woman's behaviour would represent a significant policy choice properly left to the legislature. The Quebec Youth Protection Act, CQLR c P-34.1, defines 'child' as a person under 18 years of age and its protective jurisdiction vests at birth. Section 38 of the Youth Protection Act empowers the Director of Youth Protection to take immediate protective measures for a child whose security or development is in danger, but this authority does not extend to the unborn. Consequently, pregnant persons in Quebec cannot be detained or compelled to undergo medical treatment for fetal protection under any existing Quebec statute. *Sources — Semi-verified · High confidence · Winnipeg Child and Family Services (Northwest Area) v G (DF), [1997] 3 SCR 925, [CanLII](https://www.canlii.org/t/1fqxr) · Youth Protection Act, CQLR c P-34.1, s. 2, [Légis Québec](https://www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/document/cs/P-34.1)* **Editor's note.** Status set by the research runner: the claim matched search-result snippets, but none of the cited pages were opened in full during research. Confirm the quoted text at the cited URL before publication. ## Telehealth & cross-border ### Telehealth **Telehealth prescribing permitted** 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. 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. **Legal analysis** The Collège des médecins du Québec updated its rules to permit telehealth prescribing of Mifegymiso, removing earlier requirements for in-person assessment. The 2021 amendments to professional regulations (Act to amend the Nurses Act and other provisions, SQ 2021, c 2) also expanded NP telehealth capacity. Under the Pharmacy Act and associated regulations, pharmacists may dispense Mifegymiso upon a valid prescription, including one issued via telehealth. Health Canada, as of 2017, no longer requires in-person dispensing and observation. An out-of-province prescriber typically cannot prescribe for a Quebec resident unless licensed in Quebec — Quebec's professional regulatory framework requires registration with the relevant professional order (Collège des médecins or Ordre des infirmières) to prescribe for Quebec residents. *Sources — Verify before publication · Medium confidence · My Abortion Options: Abortion in Quebec, [Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights](https://www.myabortionoptions.ca/abortion-in-quebec)* **Editor's note.** The exact Collège des médecins policy update date and text should be verified. The linked reference on MyAbortionOptions.ca points to a Collège des médecins news release, but the full text was not independently retrieved. ### Cross border patients **Quebec residents face cost barriers out of province** 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. 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). > "Abortion services are FREE with the Québec Health Insurance Plan card (RAMQ) $780.00 from 6 to 13.6 weeks of pregnancy $980.00 from 14 to 14.0 weeks." > — Centre de santé des femmes de Montréal: Abortion **Legal analysis** As detailed in reciprocal billing above, Quebec's non-participation in reciprocal billing agreements for medical services means out-of-province physicians treating Quebec residents are not paid directly. Quebec residents must pay and seek reimbursement under the Health Insurance Act. The reimbursement rate for professional services in other provinces is capped at Quebec's own tariff rates, typically generating a shortfall of $100-$300 for early abortion and potentially more for later procedures. For U.S. services, RAMQ reimbursement is negligible: hospital services are reimbursed at a maximum of CA$100/day for inpatient care and CA$50/day for outpatient care, with professional fees capped at Quebec rates. Non-residents seeking abortion in Quebec are not covered by RAMQ except under the Interim Federal Health Program. Private clinics charge fees for non-residents, which vary by gestational age: approximately $780 for 6-13.6 weeks and $980 for 14-20 weeks (per the Centre de santé des femmes de Montréal). *Sources — Semi-verified · High confidence · Centre de santé des femmes de Montréal: Abortion, [Centre de santé des femmes de Montréal](https://csfmontreal.qc.ca/en/services/abortion)* **Editor's note.** Status set by the research runner: the claim matched search-result snippets, but none of the cited pages were opened in full during research. Confirm the quoted text at the cited URL before publication. ## Recent changes - **July 29, 2015** — Health Canada approves Mifegymiso (mifepristone/misoprostol) for medication abortion. *Sources — Health Canada, Regulatory Decision Summary for Mifegymiso, [Government of Canada](https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/drug-products/prescription-drug-list/notice-multiple-additions.html)* - **December 7, 2016** — 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 — An Act to extend the powers of the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec..., SQ 2016, c 28, [Publications du Québec](https://www.publicationsduquebec.gouv.qc.ca/fileadmin/Fichiers_client/lois_et_reglements/LoisAnnuelles/en/2016/2016C28A.PDF)* - **July 6, 2017** — Quebec announces universal free access to Mifegymiso; Order in Council 1249-2017 establishes the program under RAMQ. *Sources — Global News, 'Abortion pill to be available free in Quebec,' July 6, 2017, [Global News](https://globalnews.ca/news/3579423/abortion-pill-to-be-available-free-in-quebec)* - **undefined 0, 2018** — Quebec Superior Court upholds the 50-metre safe-access-zone law against constitutional challenges. *Sources — CBC News: 'Quebec judge upholds law banning protests within 50m of abortion clinics', [CBC News](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ICy47f4kzI)* - **June 21, 2019** — Parliament repeals Criminal Code ss. 287-288 (the former abortion offences) through Bill C-75, eliminating any residual criminal-law framework for abortion. *Sources — Bill C-75, An Act to amend the Criminal Code... (1st Sess, 42nd Parl), ss. 312-313, [Parliament of Canada / Justice Laws Website](https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/AnnualStatutes/2019_25/)* - **January 25, 2021** — 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 — McGill University, Ingram School of Nursing: 'New legislation brings big changes for Quebec nurse practitioners', [McGill University](https://www.mcgill.ca/nursing/article/new-legislation-brings-big-changes-quebec-nurse-practitioners-and-patients)* - **November 18, 2024** — 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 — CBC News, 'Quebec launches action plan to improve access to abortion, protect women's right to choose,' November 18, 2024, [CBC News](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/quebec-abortion-access-plan-1.7386090)* - **undefined 0, 2025** — Quebec abortion pill prescriptions increase 80% as access barriers fall, driven by telehealth expansion and relaxed prescribing restrictions. *Sources — CBC News, 'Quebec abortion pill prescriptions jump 80% as access barriers fall', [CBC News](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/abortion-pill-quebec-increase-9.7085201)* - **February 20, 2025** — 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 — The Tribune, 'The Tribune Explains: Abortion rights in the Quebec Constitution Act,' March 2025, [The Tribune](https://www.thetribune.ca/news/the-tribune-explains/the-tribune-explains-abortion-rights-in-the-quebec-constitution-act10032026)* ## Pending changes ### Government Action Plan on Access to Abortion 2024-2027 (Policy) **Status.** In implementation; new Quebec City clinic and information campaigns underway 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 — CBC News, 'Quebec launches action plan to improve access to abortion,' November 18, 2024, [CBC News](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/quebec-abortion-access-plan-1.7386090)* ### Bill 1 — Quebec Constitution Act (Legislation) **Status.** Section 29 (abortion rights guarantee) withdrawn February 2025; bill remains before National Assembly in amended form 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 — SOGC Statement on Quebec's Bill No. 1 and the Right to Abortion, [Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada](https://sogc.org/en/en/content/featured-news/SOGC-Statement-on-Quebec-s-Bill-No-1-and-the-Right-to-Abortion.aspx)* ## Key authorities - **Tremblay v Daigle** — Tremblay v Daigle, [1989] 2 SCR 530 _(Case)_ · [canlii.org/en/ca/scc/doc/1989/…](https://www.canlii.org/en/ca/scc/doc/1989/1989canlii33/1989canlii33.html) 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. - **R v Morgentaler (1988)** — R v Morgentaler, [1988] 1 SCR 30 _(Case)_ · [canlii.org/en/ca/scc/doc/1988/…](https://www.canlii.org/en/ca/scc/doc/1988/1988canlii90/1988canlii90.html) Struck down Criminal Code s. 287 as violating s. 7 of the Charter, ending criminal prohibition of abortion in Canada. - **R v Morgentaler (1993)** — R v Morgentaler, [1993] 1 SCR 462 _(Case)_ · [canlii.org/en/ca/scc/doc/1993/…](https://www.canlii.org/en/ca/scc/doc/1993/1993canlii74/1993canlii74.html) Held that provincial legislation restricting abortion is ultra vires as colourable criminal law, defining the constitutional limits on provincial action. - **Association pour l'accès à l'avortement c Québec** — Association pour l'accès à l'avortement c Québec (Procureur général), 2006 QCCS 4694 _(Case)_ · [globalhealthrights.org/wp-content/uploads/…](https://www.globalhealthrights.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/SCQ-2006-Associaton-pour-lAcces-Eng.pdf) 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. - **Winnipeg Child and Family Services v G** — Winnipeg Child and Family Services (Northwest Area) v G (DF), [1997] 3 SCR 925 _(Case)_ · [canlii.org/t/1fqxr](https://www.canlii.org/t/1fqxr) Held the state cannot detain or compel treatment of a pregnant person to protect the fetus; affirmed no fetal legal personhood in Canadian law. - **Civil Code of Québec — Consent to Care (arts. 14-18)** — Civil Code of Québec, CQLR c CCQ-1991, arts. 14-18 _(Statute)_ · [legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/document/lc/CCQ-1991](https://www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/document/lc/CCQ-1991) Establishes that minors aged 14+ may independently consent to care required by their health, including abortion. - **SQ 2016, c 28 — Safe Access Zones and Anti-Extra-Billing** — 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 _(Statute)_ · [publicationsduquebec.gouv.qc.ca/fileadmin/Fichiers_…](https://www.publicationsduquebec.gouv.qc.ca/fileadmin/Fichiers_client/lois_et_reglements/LoisAnnuelles/en/2016/2016C28A.PDF) Created 50-metre safe-access zones and strengthened enforcement against unlawful billing for abortion services. - **Health Insurance Act** — Health Insurance Act, CQLR c A-29 _(Statute)_ · [legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/document/cs/A-29](https://www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/document/cs/A-29) Makes abortion an insured service and prohibits extra-billing by health professionals. - **Order in Council 1249-2017 — Mifegymiso Universal Coverage** — Order in Council 1249-2017, (2017) 149 GOQ II, 4829 _(Regulation)_ · [publicationsduquebec.gouv.qc.ca/fileadmin/gazette/p…](https://www.publicationsduquebec.gouv.qc.ca/fileadmin/gazette/pdf_encrypte/lois_reglements/2017A/103262.pdf) Establishes the program providing free universal access to Mifegymiso for pregnancies up to 9 weeks. - **Code of Ethics of Physicians, s. 24 — Conscientious Objection** — Code of Ethics of Physicians, CQLR c M-9, r 17, s. 24 _(Regulator policy)_ · [legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/document/cr/M-9,%20r.%2017](https://www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/document/cr/M-9,%20r.%2017) Requires objecting physicians to inform patients and offer to help them find another provider. - **Dobson v Dobson** — Dobson (Litigation Guardian of) v Dobson, [1999] 2 SCR 753 _(Case)_ · [canlii.org/en/ca/scc/doc/1999/…](https://www.canlii.org/en/ca/scc/doc/1999/1999canlii698/1999canlii698.html) Held that a mother owes no tort duty of care to her fetus, immunizing pregnant persons from negligence liability for prenatal injury. - **Constitution Act, 1867 — Division of Powers** — Constitution Act, 1867 (UK), 30 & 31 Vict, c 3, ss. 91-92 _(Constitution)_ · [laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/Const/page-1.html](https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/Const/page-1.html) 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. - **Act respecting health services and social services** — Act respecting health services and social services, CQLR c S-4.2 _(Statute)_ · [legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/document/cs/S-4.2](https://www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/document/cs/S-4.2) 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. Analysis current as of July 13, 2026; research completed July 13, 2026. 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. Unresolved points: 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..