Promoting and Protecting Academic Freedom. The Case of Quebec

From autumn 2020 to spring 2022, Quebec’s academic world experienced a vigorous debate on academic freedom. Triggered by the suspension of an Ottawa University lecturer simply for having used the word “nigger” in an academic context, the debate ultimately led the Quebec government to create an independent commission to analyze the question of academic freedom and propose measures to acknowledge, promote and protect academic freedom in all Quebec universities. Eventually, in June 2022, the “Loi sur la liberté académique dans le milieu universitaire” (Bill 32) was voted. This article introduces the background of the creation of the Commission – of which the author was a member – as well as the debates surrounding the publication of the report and the adoption of Bill 32 by the Quebec National Assembly.