Court decisions
This database presents summaries of key court decisions in Canada related to official languages and of events relating to language rights since 2003. These summaries have been prepared by the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages of Canada.
This database is not exhaustive. It was designed to be used as a reference tool for people directly or indirectly interested in language rights. The database is updated on an ongoing basis.
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Year: 2006
Province or Territory: Quebec
Court: Court of Appeal of Quebec
Citation: 2007 QCCA 1111
Category: Minority-language education rights
The issue in the NguyenFootnote 1 appeal was whether the exclusion of English instruction received in an unsubsidized school from the calculation of the "major part" requirement violates the appellants’ rights under ...Year: 2006
Province or Territory: Quebec
Court: Court of Appeal of Quebec
Citation: 2007 QCCA 1112
Category: Minority-language education rights
The issue in this appealFootnote 1 was whether the exclusion of English instruction pursuant to a special authorization violates the appellants’ rights under section 23(2) of the Charter. The Charter of...3. Clohosy v R.
Year: 2012
Province or Territory: Quebec
Court: Court of Appeal of Quebec
Citation: 2013 QCCA 1742
Category: Legislative and judicial bilingualism
The Quebec Court of Appeal identified multiple violations of the accused’s right to a trial in the official language of his choice, specifically in terms of interpretation of proceedings. Background Mr. Clohosy, an Anglophone, took part in a bilingual trial in the city...Year: 2006
Province or Territory: Quebec
Court: Court of Appeal of Quebec
Citation: 2007 QCCA 1301
Category: Legislative and judicial bilingualism
In this case, the Court of Appeal of Quebec examined the right of an accused to be tried before a judge and jury in his or her official language pursuant to section 530(4) of theCriminal CodeFootnote 1....5. Parsons v R
Year: 2014
Province or Territory: Quebec
Court: Court of Appeal of Quebec
Citation: 2014 QCCA 2206
Category: Legislative and judicial bilingualism
The Court of Appeal of Quebec ruled on the language rights of the accused when the defence counsel and Crown prosecutors do not speak the official language of the accused. Summary Mr. Parsons, an Anglophone accused, was found guilty of sexual interference and invitation to sexual touching in...Year: 2016
Province or Territory: Quebec
Court: Court of Appeal of Quebec
Citation: 2016 QCCA 1596
Category: Language rights and services to the public
The Quebec Court of Appeal allowed the appeal of a Quebec Superior Court decision involving the dismissal of motion for judicial review of an arbitration decision submitted by the City of Gatineau. The arbitration decision had allowed the grievance filed by the Syndicat des cols blancs de Gatineau...Year: 2017
Province or Territory: Quebec
Court: Court of Appeal of Quebec
Citation: 2017 QCCA 2055
Category: Vitality and development of official language minority communities
Background This appeal was made following a decision that the appellants, 11 Montréal-area English-speaking merchants, had used promotional material either solely in English or in both English and French but with the latter’s not being predominant, in breach of the Charter of the French...Filter by year
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- Legislative and judicial bilingualism 3 Apply Legislative and judicial bilingualism filter
- Minority-language education rights 2 Apply Minority-language education rights filter
- Vitality and development of official language minority communities 1 Apply Vitality and development of official language minority communities filter
- Language rights and services to the public 1 Apply Language rights and services to the public filter