Executive Summary: Key Legal and Evidentiary Issues

• The parties settled their Small Claims Division dispute through the court's remote mediation project.
   
• Homologation of the settlement agreement was requested by both parties.
   
• Confidentiality was sought for the agreement, which was filed in the court record under sealed cover.
   
• Article 556 of the Code of Civil Procedure is the only legislative provision cited as the basis for the order.
   
• Neither the nature of the claim nor the terms of the settlement are disclosed in the judgment.
   
• No legal costs were awarded.
   

Facts of the case

Marie-Claude Lavoie brought a claim against 9176-2211 Québec inc. in the Small Claims Division of the Court of Québec, District of Québec (file no. 200-32-709103-237). The judgment does not describe what the claim was about or how much was sought. Both parties took part in the Small Claims Division's "remote mediation project," and they reached an agreement during that mediation on August 13, 2026. According to the court, this agreement ended the dispute. The parties asked that the agreement remain confidential and that the court homologate it.

Policy and legislative provisions at issue

Article 556 of the Code of Civil Procedure is the only provision the court relied on for its order. Its text is not quoted or summarized in the judgment. No contractual terms are reproduced either, since the settlement agreement is held under sealed cover.

Reasoning and analysis

Judge Hélène Carrier, sitting in chambers, did not conduct a merits analysis. Her judgment consists of recitals noting the parties' participation in the mediation, the agreement they reached, the fact that it ended the dispute, their request for confidentiality, and their request for homologation. On that basis, and in view of article 556, she granted the parties' request.

Ruling and overall outcome

The court homologated the agreement of August 13, 2026, noting that its original is filed in the court record under sealed cover, and declared it enforceable. No determination was made on the merits, as the dispute ended through the parties' own agreement. Because the settlement terms are confidential, the judgment does not reveal whether any amount is payable or, if so, how much. The order was made without legal costs.