Tribunal administratif du Québec

The Government of Quebec must apply the law by taking thousands of administrative decisions everyday. In practice, civil servants are the ones that give or refuse to give a right, a sum of money or a service. When you believe that a civil servant made a mistake, in many cases, you can go before the Tribunal administratif du Québec (TAQ) to try and get it changed.

This tribunal was created to make the revision process quicker and more accessible. That meant specialized judges and a process that’s as simple as possible. That’s exactly what the TAQ offers.

The TAQ is subdivided into the:

• Social affairs division

  
  
  The social affairs division generally deals with a person’s right to claim one of several types of financial assistance allocated by a Quebec law. It also handles matters concerning the protection of persons whose mental state presents a danger, health services and social services, pension plans, compensation and certain aspects of immigration.

• Immovable property division

  
  
  This division mostly handles disputes relating to property assessment, property taxes and expropriation.

• Territory and environment division

  
  
  When it comes to protecting the environment, administrative decisions can be contested in front of this division. It also handles decisions relating to the use of a lot and of topsoil to protect agricultural zones.

• Economic affairs division

  
  
  The economic affairs division mainly reviews decisions refusing to authorize someone to carry on a trade, or to carry on a business, for which the law imposes the possession of a permit.

The TAQ's composition is one of its interesting traits. The TAQ's judges are different from those of other courts. Their number and qualifications vary with the type of file examined. When it is strictly about a point of law, 1 judge, who is a lawyer or notary, will generally hear the case (or a chartered appraiser when it’s about the value of an immovable).

However, when what’s at issue raises specific questions that are not just legal, judges can hear the case in panels of 2 or 3. There is always a lawyer or notary but she will be accompanied by a professional or 2 that will enrich the tribunal with expert knowledge. These other members of the tribunal can be doctors, psychiatrists, social workers, psychologists, chartered appraisers, educators or even people who are knowledgeable in certain economic fields.

Finally, it is important to remember that the TAQ doesn’t handle every decision made by ministries, bodies, régies, etc… The law must specifically give the TAQ the right to do so. For example, if you are unhappy with the decision of the Director of youth protection, only the Court of Quebec can hear the case.


A more detailed description of the Tribunal administratif du Québec, as well as a virtual courtroom, will be offered on Côtécour at a later date. Éducaloi is presently looking for new financial partners to help complete Côtécour.