Changes to the law often roll out over a long period of time, especially when they’re complex or cover a variety of subjects. Several legal reforms introduced in 2025 will continue this coming year. Here are three changes in the law to watch for in 2026.
Elections: Serious consequences for spreading disinformation
As of July 1, 2026, if you spread disinformation during provincial election periods, Quebec’s Chief Electoral Officer could take legal action against you. Spreading disinformation means intentionally sharing false information or allowing it to be shared. To be guilty of this offence, you must have shared the information to:
- influence the outcome of provincial elections,
- disrupt the elections,
- weaken public trust in the electoral process,
- spread false information about a candidate’s citizenship, education, professional qualifications, or belonging to a particular group.
If you spread disinformation during an election period, you could receive a fine ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 for a first offence. If you have already been found guilty of this same act in the past 10 years, the fine could reach $30,000. For businesses, fines range from $5,000 to $30,000.
That said, parody or satire will not be considered spreading disinformation under this new rule. For example, using a person’s image or voice for humorous or critical purposes is not an offence.
New regulation on shores and flood zones
The Quebec government has adopted a new regulation that applies to lakes, waterways, shores, and flood zones. This regulation will come into force on March 1, 2026.
Its goals are to protect public safety, reduce Quebec’s vulnerability to flooding, and protect the environment. The regulation introduces new restrictions and procedures, particularly when it comes to residential construction. For example, construction of buildings in certain flood-prone zones will no longer be allowed.
The regulation also introduces permits for some situations. For example, you may need a municipal permit to create an access point from your property to a lake or waterway.
You could face serious consequences if you don’t respect the new rules, especially if you break a rule that aims to protect the environmental. For example, if you cut down trees to store equipment in a flood-prone area or along a shoreline, you could face a fine ranging from $7,500 to $1,500,000.
A bill against hate
The Government of Canada introduced a bill in September 2025 to address hate crimes. A bill is a proposal for a new law. It must go through a process of debate, review and voting before being adopted and becoming law.
The bill would make several acts crimes. For example, deliberately promoting hatred against an identifiable group by displaying hate symbols, such as the swastika, in public spaces would become criminal.
This potential new crime could be punished by up to 10 years in prison. In less serious cases, the maximum prison sentence would be of two years minus one day. It’s important to note that displaying such symbols for educational, artistic, or journalistic purposes would not be considered a crime.
If it becomes law, the bill will also criminalize actions intended to intimidate someone to prevent them from entering certain types of buildings. For example, blocking doors, access or roads leading to religious or cultural buildings could be considered a crime.
Also, the bill proposes removing the requirement of having the Attorney General’s consent to charge someone with hate propaganda. The goal is to allow for these cases to progress faster and be handled more effectively.
Although this bill has not yet been adopted, it’s moving quickly through the legislative process and could become law in 2026.