Résumé

Le système canadien actuel d’exécution transfrontalière des obligations alimentaires envers les enfants, par le biais d’ententes réciproques négociées individuellement, sera bientôt renforcé, alors même que le pays se dirige vers l’adoption de la Convention sur le recouvrement international des aliments envers les enfants et d’autres membres de la famille de 2007. La décision de la Cour suprême canadienne relative aux augmentations rétroactives des pensions alimentaires pour les enfants a montré qu’une interprétation large et libérale de la législation en vigueur était nécessaire afin de garantir le respect, par les parents, de leurs obligations en matière de pension alimentaire. Bientôt, la question des diminutions rétroactives de pensions alimentaires pour les enfants sera abordée par la Cour.

INTRODUCTION

In 2020, Canada made some progress in regard to enforcing child support rights across borders, though much remains to be done. Also, the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) dealt with two cases involving retroactive child support claims. These developments can be better understood by looking briefly at the legal framework for child support.

In Canada, child support laws are enacted both by the federal Parliament and the provincial (and territorial) legislatures. Under the constitutional division of powers, legislative jurisdiction in regard to family law is divided between the two levels of government. Provinces have legislative competence in regard to property and civil rights in the province. Pursuant to this power, provinces enact laws related to family property division, child custody and access, and child and spousal support. The federal Parliament has exclusive legislative competence in regard to divorce. Pursuant to this power, Parliament enacts not only rules relating to divorce but also laws relating to the corollary issues of parenting arrangements, and child and spousal support, when those issues arise in the divorce context. Provincial laws on parenting arrangements and support apply to married couples who choose not to divorce, and to all unmarried couples. In all cases, provincial laws of family property division apply.

There is some variation across the country as to entitlement to child support, but generally the definition of ‘child’ for the purposes of support is broad, going beyond ties of blood or adoption to include any child to whom one stands in the place of a parent.