In the Common Law provinces, the limitation period for commencing legal action against governments is set by specific statutes and is usually very short (days or months); but in Quebec, it is even shorter.

In Quebec, which operates under a Civil Law system, the limitation periods for commencing legal action, including those against the government, are generally set by the Civil Code of Quebec and are not necessarily shorter than those in Common Law provinces, where limitation periods are set by specific statutes. The actual duration of these periods can vary based on the type of claim and other factors, but there is no blanket rule that Quebec's periods are shorter.