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The Dictionaries Project

An essential tool to understand Quebec's civil law

The Paul-Andr茅 Cr茅peau Centre for Private and Comparative Law听launched the Private Law Dictionaries and Bilingual Lexicons project in 1981 to analyse and present the terminology of Quebec private law. Of the first, bilingual edition the French version was published in 1985, while its English counterpart was completed in 1988. Both were followed, in 1991, by a second edition.听Many editions of the Dictionnaries听are available .

Keeping up with the evolution of law

In 1991, the adoption of the Civil code of Qu茅bec had a profound effect on civilian terminology [1],making a thorough revision of the former editions of the dictionaries necessary.

The third edition is distinguished from its predecessors not only in content but also in form. With regard to content, the current edition is more didactic, not only explaining vocabulary and indexing its legal usage, but also furthering the reader鈥檚 comprehension of the terms defined by presenting them within their legal, linguistic and theoretical contexts. It is thus a unique reference tool in Quebec law whose breadth and ambition exceed those of prior editions, and whose principal entries are true lexicographical studies.

As for its form, the new edition of the Dictionary has been divided into individual volumes which each cover a particular area of Quebec private law, thereby adapting the dictionaries to suit their new and expanded content.

Four volumes of the dictionary are now available: Dictionnaire de droit priv茅 de la famille et lexiques bilingues/Private Law Dictionary of the Family and Bilingual Lexicon;听Dictionnaire de droit priv茅 et lexiques bilingues - Les obligations/Private Law Dictionnary and Bilingual Lexicons - Obligations; Dictionnaire de droit priv茅 et lexiques bilingues - Les Biens/Private Law Dictionary and Bilingual Lexicons Property听补苍诲听Dictionnaire de droit priv茅 et lexiques bilingues - Les successions /Private Law Dictionary and Bilingual Lexicons Successions.

We are grateful for the support of , , Young Canada Works and Fondation du Barreau du Qu茅bec.

For detailed information on these publications, visit the section Publications.

A distinctive linguistic and legal framework

By presenting Quebec鈥檚 private law both in English and French, the Private Law Dictionaries are unique scholarly works exploring Quebec legal terminology in its special, bilingual legal framework. The Dictionaries are the only reference on legal terminology which can claim to reflect the bilingual and bijuridical particularities of Quebec legal culture.

The Dictionary project emphasizes the constant dialogue between the two official languages of Qu茅bec. In so doing it studies the role that language plays in legal thinking, by exploring how language shapes the substantive rules of Qu茅bec Civil law, both in itself and through interaction with the North American common law.

Generally speaking, the Dictionaries have become an essential tool for Qu茅bec jurists, legal translators, Canadian jurists interested in Qu茅bec Civil law and, finally, legal scholars working in comparative law.

[1] The Minister of Justice wisely pointed out that "[l]a r茅daction de ces dispositions n茅cessitait des changements importants d'ordre r茅dactionnel et terminologique"听(Commentaires du ministre de la Justice, t听1, Qu茅bec, Publications du Qu茅bec, 1993 脿 la听p听viii).听For a description of the lexicographical methodology of the Editorial Committee, see the Les Obligations - Guide to the use of the Dictionary听摆辫诲蹿闭听of the听Private Law Dictionary and Bilingual Lexicons - Obligations.

Guide to English Terminology in the Civil Code of Qu茅bec

An educational project

罢丑别听Guide to the English Terminology of the Civil Code of Qu茅bec听aims to explore some of the particularities of Quebec civil law as in its English-language manifestation. This innovative linguistic resource contains entries on words appearing in the English text of the Civil Code of Qu茅bec that have meanings which depart from everyday and idiomatic English, or which have a specific connotation or usage in the context of the Code. This Guide aims to be a resource for everyone learning, studying, practicing, teaching or translating law. To date 12听entries have been prepared, and more will be added in the future. Although, this project is currently on hold and the Paul-Andr茅 Cr茅peau Centre will resume working on it in the near future.

The project has benefited from financial support from the Support Fund for Access to Justice in Both Official Languages, a program of the federal Department of Justice and from Young Canada Works.

Consult the Guide to the English terminology of the CcQ听摆辫诲蹿闭

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