Paragraph 34

 

 In its ruling on constitutional aspects of the possible secession of Quebec,[14]  the Canadian Supreme Court held that democracy means more than simple majority rule. Hence, if a referendum were to be conducted, a clear majority in favour should exist. The Court said: we refer to a “clear majority” as a qualitative evaluation. The referendum result, if it is to be taken as an expression of the democratic will, must be free of ambiguity both in terms of the question and in terms of the support it achieves (87). Nevertheless, the Court refrained from defining what, in quantitative terms, a “clear majority” could be, saying: it will be for the political actors to determine what constitutes a “clear majority on a clear question” in the circumstances under which a future referendum may be taken.