In the event of a “yes” vote in another sovereignty referendum in Quebec, the terms of Quebec’s accession to sovereignty should be negotiated and ratified in a way that involves the least chaos and disruption — that is, under the existing rules for amending the Canadian Constitution, says a C.D. Howe Institute Commentary released today. The study,Ratifying a Postreferendum Agreement on Quebec Sovereignty, was written by Peter Russell, a political scientist at the University of Toronto, and Bruce Ryder, a law professor at Osgoode Hall Law School, York University.
This publication continues the C.D. Howe Institute’s postreferendum research agenda, which comprises two Commentary series. One series — of which the paper by Russell and Ryder is a part — is called “The Secession Papers,” which, in the light of the results of the 1995 Quebec referendum, aims to assist Canadians to “think about the unthinkable.” Complementing this effort is another series called “The Canadian Union Papers,” focusing on ways to enhance Canada’s political, economic, and social union
