Langlois Lawyers celebrates the decision secured for its clients before the Supreme Court of Canada, which unanimously concluded that Québec's Private Security Act does not apply to certain federally regulated enterprises. In the case of Opsis Airport Services Inc. v. Quebec (Attorney General) [2025 SCC 17], Langlois represented Quebec Maritime Services Inc. (QMS), a company in the maritime transportation sector, along with one of its employees.
A landmark decision on division of power
The dispute concerned the applicability of a provincial law to enterprises engaged in airport and maritime security―fields falling under federal jurisdiction. Alongside Opsis Airport Services Inc., which provides security operations at Montréal-Trudeau International Airport, QMS and its employee contested violation notices alleging they had failed to comply with Québec's Private Security Act (PSA).
In a unanimous ruling, the country's highest court held that applying the PSA to Opsis and QMS infringed on the core of the Federal Parliament's exclusive jurisdiction over aeronautics, navigation and shipping. The SCC specifically emphasized that the provincial law enabled a provincially created administrative body to have "final say" over how activities falling within exclusive federal jurisdiction are carried out.
"Alongside my colleagues Geneviève Claveau and Jean-Philippe Dionne, I had the privilege of representing our clients in this case, and we are proud that the Supreme Court recognized the merit of our position. This decision highlights Langlois' rigour and unwavering commitment to defending our clients' interests and also demonstrates the extensive expertise of our team in constitutional law," stated Sean Griffin, CEO of Langlois and lead partner on the case.
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