Quebec Civil Law Crash Course
A structured set of personal study notes on Quebec civil law, including obligations, contracts, civil responsibility, and procedure. Written by James R. Gosnell while studying Quebec law and shared as educational material.
Start here
Read these notes as a path, not a reference shelf. Begin with the law of obligations — it is the grammar of Quebec civil law and the foundation for almost everything else. From there, move into civil responsibility, then the more specialized series (named contracts, hypothecs, persons, family, procedure, and evidence). Each note opens with a short summary, lists what it covers, and links to the previous and next note in its series so you can work straight through.
Featured series
Two series form the spine of the crash course. Start with obligations, then build into civil responsibility.
Obligations & Contracts
The foundation of Quebec civil law: contract formation, performance, modalities, assignment, extinction, restitution, and named contracts such as sale, lease, loans, and suretyship.
24 notesCivil Responsibility (Civil Liability)
Fault, damage, and causation; liability for the acts of others and for things; professional liability; and the interaction with state compensation schemes.
16 notesCurriculum
The modules below follow the order in which the topics build on one another. Numbers reflect how many notes in each series are currently published.
Obligations & Contracts
24 notesThe foundation of Quebec civil law: contract formation, performance, modalities, assignment, extinction, restitution, and named contracts such as sale, lease, loans, and suretyship.
- 1.Obligations and Contracts: Series Overview
- 2.Introduction to the Law of Obligations
- 3.The Contract: Core Rules
- 4.Other Sources of Obligations
- 5.Performance of Obligations
- 6.Modalities of Obligations
- 7.Assignment and Transfer of Obligations
- 8.Extinguishment of Obligations: Compensation, Confusion, Release, and Debtor Liberation
- 9.Restitution of Performances
- 10.Sale and Consumer Protection
- 11.General Law of Sale
- 12.Special Regimes in Sales Law: Instalment Sales and Residential Immovable Sales
- 13.Leases and Finance Leasing
- 14.General Rules for All Leases
- 15.Residential Tenancy Rules
- 16.Securities and Remedies Related to Leases
- 17.Remedies for Non-Performance of Lease Obligations
- 18.The Administrative Housing Tribunal
- 19.Loan Contracts: An Introductory Overview
- 20.Nature and Legal Regime of Loans
- 21.Consumer Loan Rules Under Quebec's Consumer Protection Act
- 22.Suretyship: Evolution, Creditor Abuse, and Reform
- 23.General Concepts of Guarantee: Suretyship
- 24.Effects and Extinction of Suretyship
Civil Responsibility (Civil Liability)
16 notesFault, damage, and causation; liability for the acts of others and for things; professional liability; and the interaction with state compensation schemes.
- 1.General Conditions of Civil Liability for Personal Acts
- 2.Liability for Acts or Faults of Others and for Things
- 3.Exemption and Apportionment of Liability
- 4.Civil Liability and State Compensation Schemes
- 5.Liability of Professionals
- 6.General Commentary on Professional Liability
- 7.Liability of Lawyers
- 8.Liability of Notaries
- 9.Medical and Hospital Liability
- 10.Introduction to Damage (Prejudice) in Quebec Civil Law
- 11.Damage as a Condition of Liability
- 12.Compensation for Harm to Property
- 13.Compensation for Moral Harm
- 14.Compensation for Bodily Injury
- 15.Compensation for Death-Related Damages
- 16.Interest and Additional Indemnity
Prior Claims & Hypothecs
In progressReal-property and movable security under the Civil Code of Quebec: prior claims, conventional and legal hypothecs, ranking and publication, and the exercise of hypothecary rights.
These notes are in progress. They are part of the planned curriculum and will be published here as they are written.
Persons & Civil Rights
In progressThe law of persons under the Civil Code of Quebec: enjoyment and exercise of civil rights, integrity of the person, name and domicile, civil status, capacity, and protective regimes.
These notes are in progress. They are part of the planned curriculum and will be published here as they are written.
Family Law
In progressSeparation and divorce, family mediation, support obligations, family patrimony, matrimonial regimes, civil union, and the procedural side of conjugal disputes.
These notes are in progress. They are part of the planned curriculum and will be published here as they are written.
Civil Procedure
In progressHow civil claims move through the Quebec courts: first-instance proceedings, retraction of judgment, appeals, enforcement, and seizures before judgment.
These notes are in progress. They are part of the planned curriculum and will be published here as they are written.
Evidence
In progressProof in Quebec civil matters: the sources and scope of the rules, burden of proof, writings and technological records, testimony, presumptions, and admissibility.
These notes are in progress. They are part of the planned curriculum and will be published here as they are written.
Who this is for
These notes are written for:
- Law students reviewing Quebec civil law before exams or the Bar.
- People refreshing specific Civil Code of Quebec concepts.
- Legal-tech builders who need to understand Quebec civil-law vocabulary and doctrine.
- Anyone who prefers structured educational notes over scattered summaries — and who understands these are notes, not advice.
About the author
James R. Gosnell is a law student and legal technology builder in Montreal. He wrote these notes while studying Quebec civil law and shares them as educational material. He also builds AI and legal-technology tools for drafting, title review, and law-firm workflows.
Read more about JamesAll Quebec civil law notes
Every published note in the crash course, grouped by series.
Obligations & Contracts
- Obligations and Contracts: Series Overview
- Introduction to the Law of Obligations
- The Contract: Core Rules
- Other Sources of Obligations
- Performance of Obligations
- Modalities of Obligations
- Assignment and Transfer of Obligations
- Extinguishment of Obligations: Compensation, Confusion, Release, and Debtor Liberation
- Restitution of Performances
- Sale and Consumer Protection
- General Law of Sale
- Special Regimes in Sales Law: Instalment Sales and Residential Immovable Sales
- Leases and Finance Leasing
- General Rules for All Leases
- Residential Tenancy Rules
- Securities and Remedies Related to Leases
- Remedies for Non-Performance of Lease Obligations
- The Administrative Housing Tribunal
- Loan Contracts: An Introductory Overview
- Nature and Legal Regime of Loans
- Consumer Loan Rules Under Quebec's Consumer Protection Act
- Suretyship: Evolution, Creditor Abuse, and Reform
- General Concepts of Guarantee: Suretyship
- Effects and Extinction of Suretyship
Civil Responsibility (Civil Liability)
- General Conditions of Civil Liability for Personal Acts
- Liability for Acts or Faults of Others and for Things
- Exemption and Apportionment of Liability
- Civil Liability and State Compensation Schemes
- Liability of Professionals
- General Commentary on Professional Liability
- Liability of Lawyers
- Liability of Notaries
- Medical and Hospital Liability
- Introduction to Damage (Prejudice) in Quebec Civil Law
- Damage as a Condition of Liability
- Compensation for Harm to Property
- Compensation for Moral Harm
- Compensation for Bodily Injury
- Compensation for Death-Related Damages
- Interest and Additional Indemnity
Related legal-tech projects
The same interest in how Quebec civil law actually works shows up in the tools James builds for legal practice.
Explore all legal technology projectsFrequently asked questions
- Is this a formal law course?
- No. It is a structured collection of personal study notes and breakdowns by James R. Gosnell. It is intended as educational material, not legal advice.
- What topics does it cover?
- The notes cover Quebec civil law topics including obligations, contracts, civil responsibility and civil liability, named contracts, hypothecs, persons and family law, and civil procedure and evidence where available.
- Who is this for?
- Law students, people reviewing Quebec civil law concepts, and legal-tech builders who want a structured introduction to Quebec civil-law vocabulary and doctrine.
- Is this legal advice?
- No. The notes are educational and may not reflect every update in legislation or jurisprudence. Readers should verify with official legal sources or a qualified professional.