Quebec Premier Christine Frechette puts her hand to her heart after she was sworn in at the legislature in Quebec City on April 15, 2026. The Canadian Press/Jacques Boissinot
Quebec’s new premier said she was “relieved” following her first meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney in Ottawa, after earlier promising to fight “tooth and nail” to protect the right of governments to pass laws that override the Charter.
Christine Fréchette said the overriding clause of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms must not be touched. Quebec has made use of the clause in recent years to shield several pieces of legislation from court challenges, including its secularism law that bans certain public servants from wearing religious symbols at work.
