Public Interest Standing: Analysis of Article 85 of the Code of Civil Procedure in Light of the Downtown Eastside Ruling

In 2012, the Supreme Court of Canada’s landmark Downtown Eastside Sex Workers ruling expanded the criteria for public interest standing. But how does this framework align with the Code of Civil Procedure of Quebec, which sets out a more restrictive approach to the issue?

In this visual publication, Paul-David Chouinard, a doctoral candidate at the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Law, explores this conflict of norms and the context surrounding the Downtown Eastside ruling. He attempts to reconcile the Supreme Court’s findings with the requirements of the Quebec legal framework.

These observations are drawn from his article: “L’intérêt pour agir et le conflit des normes : analyse de l’article 85 du nouveau Code de procédure civile au regard de l’arrêt Downtown Eastside,” published in the Revue générale de droit ((2024) 54 HS R.G.D. 13-53).

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