Official Languages committee  Last week, the Federal Court of Appeal handed down its decision in the case in British Columbia involving the application of part VII of the Official Languages Act. The case makes quite clear that, without immediate efforts to repair certain damage, communities will disappear.

Official Languages committee  It will be very important for the action plan or the Official Languages Act to provide for giving communities the powers they need to repatriate francophones who study in major centres in regions with fewer francophones. I assume that, by advocating for a territoriality-based ap

Official Languages committee  This is a good example that demonstrates how giving power and resources to community organizations enables them to liaise with the sectors that need services, such as those pertaining to seniors, the status of women, health and education. It makes it possible to find people who c

Official Languages committee  I have been working in the community since 1988. From the very beginning of my work on access to justice, shortcomings in the Official Languages Act had already been identified. Over the years, many problems had an impact…

Official Languages committee  The work has begun, but it's an important aspect of the upcoming reform of the Official Languages Act.

Official Languages committee  I can give you one example. In many provinces, the bar associations, to which FAJEF members belong, assist by providing their services to the community through community centres. Francophones are thus able to go into those centres and seek answers to minor legal questions. They c

Official Languages committee  Absolutely, and thank you for that very important question. The court challenges program is an essential tool, all across the country, for large organizations such as the FAJEF and for all community organizations because it enables them to refer important and specific issues to

Official Languages committee  Thank you for that very important and very interesting question as well. The legal community has now produced enough renowned lawyers that we can envisage appointments to all courts, including the Supreme Court of Canada. We have many francophone and francophile lawyers whose k

Official Languages committee  We can identify those minor actions that mean so much by establishing permanent staff in every community organization. It takes core funding, not just project funding, to protect those people. That's what has restored the network and what will enable it to survive. This funding s

Official Languages committee  Mr. Chair and members of the committee, thank you for your commitment to the advancement of Canada's official languages. Thanks as well for inviting me as part of your evaluation of measures that could be taken to promote French. In the few minutes allotted me at the start of th

Justice committee  The FAJEF will be submitting a brief that will contain the exact wording we suggest.

Justice committee  A lot of work has been done, especially in terms of the Criminal Code. Because of the requirements imposed on the provinces anywhere in the country under sections 530 and 530.1, they have had to appoint judges able to hear cases in French. So that has already been accomplished.

Justice committee  British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador are the two provinces where absolutely nothing is provided in French. In Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Alberta, when you know someone, you can possibly get an order in French, but no one has yet tried to have a complete trial

Justice committee  That is a very difficult subject to study. There have been studies on parties requesting access to justice in both official languages. The last complete study on it was actually done by the Commissioner of Official Languages. Figures are difficult to obtain because it is a chic

Justice committee  Absolutely, and sections 530 and 530.1 of the Criminal Code specifically require courts to make an active offer, by telling parties that it is their right to have access to justice in the official language of their choice.