The Act respecting French, the official and common language of Québec (also known as Bill 96) was passed to strengthen the Charter of the French Language (also known as Bill 101) by consolidating the status of French in the province. Bill 96 provided for the creation of a Commissioner of the French Language of Quebec and made French the sole language of communication between provincial government institutions and Quebecers. The bill also enshrined Quebec’s distinctness in the Canadian Constitution Act, 1867. Although exceptions and guarantees were granted to the province’s English-speaking and Indigenous communities, these communities expressed their displeasure and fears regarding respect for their constitutional rights.