Laws and Regulations Applicable to the Travel Industry - Institut de ...

1.1 MINISTÈRE DE LA JUSTICE
(JUSTICE DEPARTMENT)
On June 4, 1965, the Act respecting the Ministère de la Justice (R.S.Q., c.
M-19) came into force, making Québec the first Canadian province to have
its own Justice Ministry. The mission and responsibilities of this department
have evolved continuously since that time.
Did you know that…
an Act is a written, general
and permanent rule of law,
adopted by the National Assembly.
A regulation is designed to
ensure the implementation of
a law and may not infringe it.
1.1.1 What is its role?
Mission
On its website, the Ministère de la Justice presents its mission as to
“…ensure adherence to the rule of law in Québec society and to preserve a
credible and dependable system of justice in Québec in which individual
and collective rights are respected and maintained.”
Mandates
Among the responsibilities of the Ministère de la Justice (involving
agencies such as the Office de la protection du consommateur, which is
under the jurisdiction of this department), we find the following:
• advise the government and its departments on the legality of their
actions as well as the drafting of acts and regulations (e.g. regulations
governing the work of travel agents);
• support judicial activities by officiating the various courts of justice
that constitute Québec’s court system, along with certain specialized
tribunals (e.g. convictions involving the commercial activity
of travel agents);
• ensure proper handling of infringement cases falling under the responsibility
of the Attorney General in accordance with the Code of Civil
Procedure, and executes court judgments rendered in criminal and
penal courts when including a fine or surcharge.
Figure 1 summarizes the structure and responsibilities of the Ministère de
la Justice and the OPC as they relate to the travel sector.
Topic 1 – Dealing with the Laws and the Authorities Concerned • Unauthorized reproduction prohibited 5