Good Samaritan law

First Aid & CPR Quebec

The Good Samaritan: compassion and protection

Drawn from the Bible (Luke 10:25-37), the parable of the Good Samaritan tells of a traveller left for dead who is rescued by a stranger that tends to him and sees to his care. Beyond its religious context, it carries a universal message: the moral duty to help others in danger, through compassion and altruism.

Inspired by this principle, many so-called Good Samaritan laws have been enacted around the world to protect those who assist in good faith during an emergency from legal action. The exact scope of that protection, however, varies from one jurisdiction to another: here is what the law applicable to your region provides.

Statute citation

Governing act Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, Art. 2; Civil Code of Quebec, Art. 1471
Scope of protection Civil Code Art. 1471 exempts rescuers unless intentional or gross fault; Charter Art. 2 imposes a duty to rescue.
Duty to rescue Yes
Penalty for failure to assist Failure to assist is an offence under the Charter.
AED liability protection Protected
Statute Civil Code of Quebec, Art. 1471
Legal duty to rescue applies AED protection

Your protection under the law

In Quebec, the volunteer rescuer is protected by Article 1471 of the Civil Code, which exempts them from all liability for harm caused while rendering aid, except in cases of intentional or gross fault. That same protection covers the use of a defibrillator during a good-faith intervention. In other words, someone who acts to save a life need not fear the legal consequences of a gesture made in sincerity and with prudence.

Duty to rescue

Quebec holds a singular place in Canada: Article 2 of the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms enshrines a genuine duty to come to the aid of anyone whose life is in danger, and failing to do so is an offence. Far from being a threat, this obligation reflects a collective conviction: the life of others is everyone's concern. And because the Civil Code in turn protects the good-faith rescuer, right down to the use of an AED, the law asks you to act while guaranteeing that you can do so with peace of mind.

Why training matters

In Quebec, the law invites you to act — but it is skill that turns that invitation into a real power to save. In a cardiac arrest, the chance of survival falls by about 10 percent with each minute without resuscitation, and the bystander present is the first link in the chain of survival, long before help arrives. Training in CPR and AED use answers the spirit of the Charter not out of obligation, but out of conviction: being ready to reach out when a life depends on it. On that day, knowing what to do will no longer be a matter of law, but of life.