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User:Mathieugp/drafts/Timeline of law in Quebec (17th century)

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This articles present a Timeline of law in Quebec from 1600 to 1699. The timeline comprises events relative to 1) the constitution and major laws, 2) the judicial system and its administration, 3) jurisprudence of the courts 4) the practice of law, 5) reports on justice and government by commissions of enquiry, 6) the teaching and study of law.


17th century ~ 18th century ~ 19th century ~ 20th century ~ 21st century
Date Event
1608 On x, the lieutenant of the viceroy Samuel de Champlain is commissioned with the legislative, executive and judicial powers on the territory of New France. The same powers are confirmed to succeeding governors[1][2]
1621 On x, Samuel de Champlain is ordered to appoint assistant judges (assesseurs) to represent him in the remote regions of New France[3].
1621 On September 12, Champlain publishes the first ordinances (ordonnances) of the colony. They were not preserved for posterity. He appointed the first law officers: Louis Hébert, procureur du roi, Gilbert Coursera, lieutenant du prévôt, one Nicolas, greffier of the Quebec jurisdiction[4].
1627 On April 29, the cardinal de Richelieu establishes the Company of New France (Compagnie de la Nouvelle-France). In the creation edict (édit d'établissement) of the company, the provision of law officers is reserved to the king of France, who approves and names the persons introduced to him by the company[5].
1629 On April 24, the king of France Louis XIII and the king of England Charles I, put an end to the war by the Treaty of Suza[6].
1629 On July 29, Champlain, who in all likelihood ignored that peace had just been signed in Suza, capitulates and surrenders Quebec to the hands of David Kirke.
1632 On March 29, the king of England restores all provinces of New France to the king of France by signing the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye[7].
1639 On x, setting up of the courts and nomination of the first judges[8].
1644 On March 26, Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve is appointed Governor of Montreal with powers to administer justice and insure good order and police[9].
1645 On January 14, the Compagnie de la Nouvelle France cedes the fur trade to the Compagnie des Habitants[10].
1647 On March 27, a règlement of the King's Council "pour établir un bon ordre et police en Canada", provides further precisions on the composition of the Council of Quebec[11][12].
1648 On March 5, a new règlement of the King's Council modifies the composition and rules of the Council of Quebec[13].
1648 The seigniory of Montreal provides for a tribunal seigneurial[14].
1651 On x, Governor Jean de Lauzon, who arrived in Canada on October 14, is charged with the mission of putting the administration of justice in order. He appoints his son to the honorific office of grand sénéchal de la Nouvelle-France. A first sénéchaussée is erected at Québec and a second one is erected at Trois-Rivières the same year. [15][16].
1658 On April 22, the Archbishop of Rouen François Harlay de Champvallon appoints M. Gabriel de Thubière de Lévis de Queylus as official (ecclesiastical judge) and vicar general of New France[17].
1658 On December 8, François de Montmorency-Laval is appointed Apostolic vicar of New France. The Parlement de Rouen and of Paris remain the highest judicial authorities on religious questions[18].
1663 In Mars, the Louis XIV of France accepts the surrender and resignation (abandon et démission) of the Company of New France, which the company itself presented on February 24.
1663 In April, Louis XIV establishes the Sovereign Council of New France[19]. One of the King's motives is the establishment of a "justice réglée ... pour y faire fleurir les lois, maintenir et appuyer les bons, châtier les méchants et contenir chacun dans son devoir ...[20] [21]".
1663 On September 28, a royal sénéchaussée is created for the Island of Montreal. Its first officers are M. Arthur de Sally, judge; Charles Lemoyne, procureur du roi; Benigne Basset, clerk in chief and notary. The Sovereign Council confirms these nominations on October 18[22].
1664 Commissary Gaudet, sent by the king to retake possession of New France following the abandon et démission of the Company of New France, is charged with the mission to see to the details of the regular justice which is lacking in Canada and elsewhere in New France[23].
1664 In May, Louis XIV establishes the French West India Company (Compagnie des Indes occidentales) to administer commerce in New France. Article 33 of the company's creation edict states "Seront les Juges établis en tous les dits lieux, tenus de juger suivant les lois et ordonnances du Royaume, et les officiers de suivre et se conformer à la Coutume de la Prévôté et Vicomté de Paris, suivant laquelle les habitants pourront contracter, sans que l'on y puisse introduire aucune Coutume, pour éviter la diversité[24]."
1665 On March 23, the king appoints Jean Talon as intendant of justice, police and finance in New France. The nature of his powers in matters of justice are stated in his commission[25]
1666 On September 18, Jean Talon orders that the Séminaire de Montréal, proprietor of the seigniory of the Island of Montréal, remains in possession of justice, which leads to the suppression of royal justice in the district (therefore the sénéchaussée created therein in 1663)[26].
1667 On x, king Louis XIV renders his Ordinance on the reform of civil justice (Ordonnance sur la réformation de la justice civile) which codifies French civil law[27].
1667 On x, founding of the Prévôté de Québec[28].
1667 On January 24, the Sovereign Council orders the publication of the projet de règlement de la justice et de la police that he adopted. The inhabitants are expected to attempt to settle their differences through the intermediary of arbiters (amiables compositeurs) before they have recourse to royal justice, which was rendered for free[29].
1670 In August, king Louis XIV renders his Criminal Ordinance reforming and codifiying French criminal laws. The ordinance applied uniformly throughout the Kingdom of France, and was as such the source of criminal or penal law in New France[30].
1672 On June 4, the king rendered an arrêt (the arrêt de retranchement) which authorized intendant Talon to revoke uncleared land concessions to redistribute them to others who were required to clear them within four years after concession[31].
1672 Not long after entering into office on x, governor Frontenac assembled the Estates General of Canada. In a letter dated June 13, Colbert strongly advises him never to redo such a thing in the future[32].
1672 On x, Frontenac promulgates règlements de polices (31 articles) pertaining among other things to the election of three councillors (échevins) "pour remplir les fonctions de juges de police et veiller à l'exécution des lois". The lieutenant-général was also ordered to assemble the notables of Quebec twice a year (on April 15 and November 15) "pour aviser surtout aux moyens d'augmenter et d'enrichir la colonie." [33].
1672 On October 26, Intendant Talon appoints M. Gilles Boyvinet as lieutenant-général des Trois-Rivières[34].
1673 In March, the king of France renders his Commerce Ordinance (Ordonnance sur le commerce). The ordinance applied uniformly throughout his Kingdom[35].
1673 On June 13, an ordinance is rendered to punish by death sentence the fact of "courir les bois" for hunting or trading pelleteries. On September 26, Frontenac rendered an ordinance on the same subject[36].
1674 Trials of governor Perrot and abbot Fénélon. The first is imprisoned in the Bastille, the second is forbidden from returning to Canada[37].
1674 On October 1st, Clement X establishes the see of Quebec by a papal bull. Mgr de Laval, bishop of Pétrée, becomes the first bishop of Quebec, upon nomination by the King. The bulls are granted on October 10 and Mgr de Laval swears to the King on April 23, 1675[38].
1675 On June 5, the French West India Company (Compagnie des Indes occidentales) is revoked. The same day, the creation edict of the Superior Council is confirmed and the number of councillors augmented from five to seven[39].
1677 In May, the king reestablished the Prévôté de Québec, which was suppressed by the revocation of the French West India Company. On May 9, the office of Prévôt de la maréchaussée is also created[40][41].
1679 On x, the Superior Council passes an ordonnance to deny the gouverneurs particuliers the power to imprison people, granting it only to the gouverneur-en-chef, the lieutenant-général civil and the Superior Council[42]. On May 7, the King forbids the particular governors from imprisoning inhabitants without the express order of the gouverneur général or an arrêt of the Superior Council[43].
1679 On May 24, the king rendered an ordinance to forbid carrying eau-de-vie to the Amerindian settlements remote from the French settlements, under penalty of fine and corporal punishment in case of second offense[44].
1679 In June, by a royal edict, the Ordinance of 1667 (civil code), as modified by the Superior Council at Quebec to meet the conditions of New France, was declared the definitive law of New France[45].
1680 On May 29, the Council of State of the king rendered the intendant of New France the first president of the Superior Courts, thereby correcting an ambiguity contained in the commission of intendant Duchesneau[46].
1681 In August, the king rendered his Ordinance of Marine, which applied throughout the whole Kingdom of France[47].
1685 In March, the king rendered his Ordonnance sur l'état des esclaves, aka as the Code noir. While intended for the "police des îles de l'Amérique", it was also applied in Louisiana[48].
1685 On March 10, the king authorized the moving of the sovereign council from Château Saint-Louis to a new building built over a former brewery on the border of the River Saint-Charles[49].
1685 On October 18, king Louis XIV signed the Edict of Fontainebleau which revoked the Edict of Nantes on the toleration of Protestants signed by Henri IV in April 1598[50].
1693 In March, the king extend his royal justice to Montreal, by definitively replacing the seigniorial justice which had been maintained there under the authority of the ecclesiastical seigniors of the Island. This jurisdiction was comprised of a royal judge, a king's attorney, a clerk, four huissiers, four royal notaries, and, a first in Canada, four procureurs postulants[51].
1697 On September 20, peace between France and England is signed at Ryswick. Concerning the North-American territories, each crown maintained its possessions, except the Hudson Bay which passed from England to France. (See Treaty of Ryswick)[52].

Notes edit

  1. ^ de Montigny, p. 1
  2. ^ The instructions of his commission state: "En paix, repos, tranquillité, commander et gouverner, tant par mer que par terre; ordonner, décider et faire exécuter tout ce que vous jugerez se devoir et pouvoir se faire pour maintenir, garder et conserver les dits lieux sous notre puissance et autorité, par les formes, voies et moyens prescrits par nos ordonnances. Et pour y avoir égard avec nous, commettre établir et constituer tous officiers, tant ès affaires de la guerre que de justice et police pour la première fois et de les en avant nous les nommer et présenter pour en être par nous disposé et donner les lettres, titres et provisions tels qu'ils seront nécessaires. Et selon les occurrences des affaires, vous-même avec l'avis de gens présents et capables, prescrire, sous notre bon plaisir, des lois, statuts et ordonnances, autant qu'il se pourra conformes aux nôtres, notamment ès choses et matières auxquelles n'est pourvu par icelles."
  3. ^ [1]
  4. ^ Doutre, p. 15
  5. ^ Doutre, p. 37
  6. ^ Doutre, p. 25
  7. ^ Doutre, p. 25
  8. ^ [2]
  9. ^ Doutre, p. 34
  10. ^ Doutre, p. 34
  11. ^ de Montigny, p. 12
  12. ^ Doutre, p. 36
  13. ^ Doutre, p. 37
  14. ^ [3]
  15. ^ Doutre, p. 37
  16. ^ [4]
  17. ^ Doutre, p. 41
  18. ^ Doutre, p. 43
  19. ^ Pierre-Georges Roy, Les conseillers au Conseil souverain de la Nouvelle-France, Ottawa : Royal Society of Canada, 1915, p. 173
  20. ^ de Montigny, p. 16
  21. ^ By its creation edict, the Council has the power " ... de connaître de toutes causes civiles et criminelles pour juger souverainement et en dernier ressort, selon les lois et ordonnances de notre Royaume, et y procéder autant qu'il se pourra en la forme et manière qui se pratique et se garde dans le ressort de notre Cour du Parlement de Paris, nous réservant néanmoins, selon notre pouvoir souverain, de changer, réformer et amplifier les dites lois et ordonnances, d'y déroger, de les abolir, d'en faire de nouvelles, ou tels règlements, statuts, et constitutions que nous verrons être plus utiles à notre service etc. ",Édits et ord., vol. 1, p. 37
  22. ^ Doutre, p. 129
  23. ^ Doutre, p. 116
  24. ^ Édits et ord., vol. 1, p. 46
  25. ^ Doutre, p. 144-145
  26. ^ Doutre, p. 154
  27. ^ Doutre, p. 151
  28. ^ [5]
  29. ^ Doutre, p. 155-56
  30. ^ Doutre, p. 162
  31. ^ Doutre, p. 171
  32. ^ Garneau, vol. I, p. 213
  33. ^ Garneau, vol. I, p. 215
  34. ^ Doutre, p. 172
  35. ^ Doutre, p. 173
  36. ^ Doutre, p. 173
  37. ^ Doutre, p. 174-179
  38. ^ Doutre, p. 180
  39. ^ Doutre, p. 118
  40. ^ Doutre, p. 197
  41. ^ [6]
  42. ^ Garneau, vol. I, p. 215
  43. ^ Doutre, p. 202
  44. ^ Doutre, p. 202
  45. ^ Doutre, p. 203-204
  46. ^ Doutre, p. 205
  47. ^ Doutre, p. 205
  48. ^ Doutre, p. 217
  49. ^ Doutre, p. 218
  50. ^ Doutre, p. 219
  51. ^ Doutre, p. 227
  52. ^ Doutre, p. 229

References edit

Further information: Bibliography of the history of law in Quebec
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