Quebec’s justice minister has reversed course in the face of strong criticism of his plan to enshrine abortion rights in his constitution bill.

Simon Jolin-Barrette says on social media that after hearing from legal experts and women’s rights groups he made the difficult decision to withdraw the abortion section from the legislation.

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The minister had wanted to codify the right to abortion in Quebec’s new constitution, which has not yet been adopted by the legislature.

But critics had put immense pressure on him, warning that legislating on abortion could potentially open the door to legal challenges from anti-abortion groups.

They say abortion is already decriminalized in Canada and adequately protected by the Charter and case law.

Jolin-Barrette says his intention was never to incite fear but to ensure abortion rights are protected.

Pressure is mounting on Quebec’s justice minister to abandon plans to enshrine abortion rights in the province’s proposed constitution.

Consultations on the constitution bill ended this week, with opposition parties noting that the section on abortion was roundly criticized.

Legal experts and women’s rights groups have warned the government against legislating on abortion, saying doing so could potentially open the door to legal challenges from anti-abortion groups.

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They contend that abortion is already decriminalized in Canada and adequately protected by the Charter and case law, and argue the government should instead focus on improving abortion access.

The Coalition Avenir Québec has introduced a bill that would create a Quebec constitution, designed to enshrine what the government considers common values such as secularism and equality between men and women.

Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette said during question period today he has heard the concerns about the section on abortion, but he did not indicate whether he would remove the article.

Several CAQ members suggested today that an announcement would be coming soon from Jolin-Barrette on the issue.