Reading Time: 6 minutesDisponible en français. Can you vote in the official language of your choice during Canadian federal elections? The answer depends on which government agency you ask. A Matter of Interpretation The Commissioner of Official Languages of Canada and the Chief… Read More ›
Reading Time: 2 minutesDisponible en français. The purpose of the Official Languages Act (OLA) is to ensure respect for English and French as the official languages of Canada. Pursuant to the OLA and to regulations and current policies, federal institutions are guided by certain fundamental principles that… Read More ›
Reading Time: < 1 minuteDisponible en français. In 2013–2014 and again since June 2020, some Canadian political figures have used the terms “national languages” and “official languages” interchangeably to refer to English and French when discussing the federal language regime. However, these two terms are not equivalent. “Official” status requires the government to… Read More ›
Reading Time: 2 minutesDisponible en français. There are various rules governing the use of French and English within the Canadian judicial system. This Background Paper focuses on the federal government’s role in the matter, looking particularly at the issues relating to bilingualism within the Canadian court system. There are a number of different acts that govern the administration of justice in the two official… Read More ›
Reading Time: 6 minutesRevised on 21 December 2020, 10:05 a.m. Any substantive changes in this HillNote that have been made since the preceding issue are indicated in bold print. (Disponible en français : Le cadre réglementaire pour les langues officielles, revu et corrigé) Chronology… Read More ›
Reading Time: 2 minutes(Disponible en français : Résumé – Régimes linguistiques dans les provinces et les territoires) In Canada, language is an area of shared jurisdiction between the various levels of government. Although the federal government has established its own support measures, it… Read More ›