Esheria Esheria Statutes
Ask AI Sign in

Canada — Quebec Act or statute

Canada — Quebec legislation

Press Act

This section defines “newspaper” for the Act.

Source excerpt

civil procedurecontempt of courtcost allocationcourt orderscourt reportingelection coveragelitigation costslitigation deadlinesmedianewspaper publicationnewspaper publishingpublic noticespublication claimsrectification publicationreply publicationsecurity for costs
Jurisdiction
Canada — Quebec
Structure
15 provisions
Dates
Source version 10 Jun 2026
On this page

Professional statute overview

Enactment structure, operative effect and source provenance

Official source

01

Purpose and legislative effect

“This section defines “newspaper” for the Act.”

Use this record to locate individual provisions, understand the instrument’s recorded structure, and move from a research summary to the exact source text.

02

How the instrument operates

  1. 01

    Start with the recorded version

    Source version 10 Jun 2026. The date shown identifies this source expression and should not be treated as proof that no later change exists.

  2. 02

    Locate the controlling provision

    Use the provision map, part headings and full-text filter to move from the broad subject to the exact legal language.

  3. 03

    Read conditions and exceptions together

    Keep subsections, definitions, provisos and cross-references in context before drawing a legal conclusion.

  4. 04

    Verify currency and official wording

    Confirm later legislation, commencement notices and corrections with the official publisher before advice, filing or reliance.

03

Research entry points

Selected provisions across the instrument. Open any row to continue with the exact stored text.

Section 1

This section defines “newspaper” for the Act.

Section 1

Section 5

The newspaper must publish the retraction for free and place it as conspicuously as the article complained of.

Section 5

Section 8

If an injured person has obtained a retraction and used the right to reply, no prosecution may issue if the newspaper publishes both without further comment.

Section 8

Section 12

A newspaper may not use this Act’s provisions if it has not complied with the formalities required by the Newspaper Declaration Act.

Section 12

Schedule

This schedule states that chapter 48 of the Revised Statutes, 1964, is repealed when chapter P-19 of the Revised Statutes comes into force.

Schedule

04

Source and current-law status

Source record view

Source record from www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca · Source version 10 Jun 2026

Verify current force

The source record does not state a definitive current-law status. Check the official publisher and later amendments before relying on this text.

For advice, pleadings, or compliance decisions, retain the official source and confirm the current consolidated provision.

Official record

Source-indexed provision map

Sections and provisions

Search by section, heading, part or exact legal wording. Every result remains linked to the stored source record.

Showing 15 of 15 provisions

Provision 12Offence 2Repeal
§ 1Section 1Provision

Source excerpt

This section defines “newspaper” for the Act.

1. For the purposes of this Act, the word “newspaper” means every newspaper or periodical writing the publication whereof for sale or distribution free of charge is made at successive and determined periods, appearing on a fixed day or by irregular issues, but more than once a month and whose object is to give news, opinions, comments or advertisements. R. S. 1964, c. 48, s. 1; 1997, c. 30, s. 1.
Section 1Verify source
§ 2Section 2Provision

Source excerpt

A person injured by a newspaper article who wants damages must start the action within three months of publication, or within three months after learning of the publication, subject to a one-year outer limit in the latter case.

2. Every person who deems himself injured by an article published in a newspaper and who wishes to claim damages must institute his action within the three months following the publication of such article, or within three months after his having had knowledge of such publication, provided, in the latter case, that the action be instituted within one year from the publication of the article complained of. R. S. 1964, c. 48, s. 2.
Section 2Verify source
§ 3Section 3Provision

Source excerpt

A lawsuit against the newspaper’s proprietor is barred unless the injured person, personally or through an attorney, gives three days’ prior notice (excluding holidays) at the newspaper office or the proprietor’s domicile.

3. No such action may be brought against the proprietor of the newspaper, unless, personally or through his attorney, the party who deems himself injured gives a previous notice thereof of three days, not being holidays, at the office of the newspaper or at the domicile of the proprietor, so as to allow such newspaper to rectify or retract the article complained of. R. S. 1964, c. 48, s. 3.
Section 3Verify source
§ 4Section 4Provision

Source excerpt

If a newspaper fully retracts and establishes good faith, only damages for the injury actually sustained may be claimed in the next issue after notice.

4. If the newspaper fully retracts and establishes good faith, in its issue published on the day following the receipt of such notice or on the day next after such day, only damages for the injury actually sustained may be claimed. R. S. 1964, c. 48, s. 4; 1999, c. 40, s. 216.
Section 4Verify source
§ 5Section 5Provision

Source excerpt

The newspaper must publish the retraction for free and place it as conspicuously as the article complained of.

5. Such retraction must be published by the newspaper gratis and in as conspicuous a place in the newspaper as the article complained of. R. S. 1964, c. 48, s. 5.
Section 5Verify source
§ 6Section 6Provision

Source excerpt

If the newspaper is not a daily, the rectification must be published in another qualifying newspaper and in the newspaper’s next issue.

6. Whenever the newspaper is not a daily, the rectification must, at the choice of the party who deems himself injured, and at the newspaper’s expense, be published in a newspaper of the judicial district or of a neighbouring judicial district, as well as in the next issue of the newspaper itself. R. S. 1964, c. 48, s. 6.
Section 6Verify source
§ 7Section 7Provision

Source excerpt

A newspaper must publish, at its own expense, a reply sent by a person who claims to be injured, if the reply is relevant, not unreasonably long, and in fitting terms.

7. The newspaper shall also publish at its expense any reply which the party who deems himself injured may communicate to it, provided that same be ad rem, be not unreasonably long and be couched in fitting terms. R. S. 1964, c. 48, s. 7.
Section 7Verify source
§ 8Section 8Provision

Source excerpt

If an injured person has obtained a retraction and used the right to reply, no prosecution may issue if the newspaper publishes both without further comment.

8. Whenever the party who deems himself injured has both obtained a retraction and exercised the right to reply, no prosecution may issue if the newspaper publishes such retraction and reply without further comment. R. S. 1964, c. 48, s. 8.
Section 8Verify source
§ 9Section 9Offence

Source excerpt

A newspaper may not use this Act’s provisions in two specified cases.

9. No newspaper may avail itself of the provisions of this Act in the following cases: (a) when the party who deems himself injured is accused by the newspaper of a criminal offence; (b) when the article complained of refers to a candidate and was published within the three days prior to the nomination day and up to the polling day in a parliamentary or municipal election. R. S. 1964, c. 48, s. 9.
Section 9Verify source
§ 10Section 10Provision

Source excerpt

A newspaper publication is privileged if the facts are accurately reported and the publication is in good faith.

10. Provided that the facts be accurately reported and in good faith, the publication in a newspaper of the following is privileged: (a) reports of the proceedings of the Senate, the House of Commons, the National Assembly and of their committees from which the public is not excluded and reports of the Public Protector laid before the National Assembly; (b) any notice, bulletin or recommendation emanating from a Government or municipal health service; (c) public notices given by the Government or by a person authorized by it respecting the solvency of certain legal persons or regarding the value of certain issues of bonds, shares or stock; (d) reports of the sittings of the courts provided they be not held in camera, and that the reports be accurate. This provision shall not, however, affect or diminish the rights of the press under common law. R. S. 1964, c. 48, s. 10; 1968, c. 9, s. 77, s. 90; 1968, c. 11, s. 40; 1977, c. 5, s. 14; 1982, c. 62, s. 143; 2009, c. 52, s. 597.
Section 10Verify source
§ 11Section 11Provision

Source excerpt

In a defamation suit against a newspaper, a judge may order the plaintiff to provide security for costs if the defendant provides security to satisfy the judgment.

11. The judge may, during a suit for defamation against a newspaper, order the plaintiff to furnish security for costs, provided that the defendant himself furnishes security to satisfy the judgment. The amount of security in each instance shall be left to the sole discretion of the judge. R. S. 1964, c. 48, s. 11.
Section 11Verify source
§ 12Section 12Provision

Source excerpt

A newspaper may not use this Act’s provisions if it has not complied with the formalities required by the Newspaper Declaration Act.

12. No newspaper may avail itself of the provisions of this Act if the formalities required by the Newspaper Declaration Act (chapter J-1) have not been complied with. R. S. 1964, c. 48, s. 12.
Section 12Verify source
§ 13Section 13Offence

Source excerpt

A court-ordered judgment against a newspaper must be published in that newspaper, at the newspaper’s expense.

13. Every judgment condemning a newspaper at fault must be published in the said newspaper, and at its expense, on the order of the court which rendered the judgment, under penalty of contempt of court. R. S. 1964, c. 48, s. 13.
Section 13Verify source
§ 14Section 14Provision

Source excerpt

Section 14 ceased to have effect on 17 April 1987.

14. (This section ceased to have effect on 17 April 1987). 1982, c. 21, s. 1; U. K., 1982, c. 11, Sch. B, Part I, s. 33.
Section 14Verify source
§ —ScheduleRepeal

Source excerpt

This schedule states that chapter 48 of the Revised Statutes, 1964, is repealed when chapter P-19 of the Revised Statutes comes into force.

In accordance with section 17 of the Act respecting the consolidation of the statutes (chapter R-3), chapter 48 of the Revised Statutes, 1964, in force on 31 December 1977, is repealed effective from the coming into force of chapter P-19 of the Revised Statutes.
ScheduleVerify source

Legislative relationships

1 referenced instrument

Names are derived from the stored provision headings and citation-enrichment layer. Treat this as a research index and verify each relationship against the source text.

N–S

1 instrument

  • Revised Statutes comes into force. In accordance with section 17 of the Act

    Section Schedule

Recorded versions and source checkpoint

1 version available in this collection

Current-law checkpoint
  • 10 Jun 2026 · currentEnglish

This relationship view does not by itself establish whether another instrument remains in force.

Check official source

Source-linked research

Ask AI about this statute

The overview, provisions, and source records above are public. Continue in a separate conversation with this statute’s jurisdiction and source version attached.

About this LexChat collection

Statute information is organised from identified legislative sources for professional research. Corrections can be reported to hello@esheria.ai.