Thursday, 13 June 2019

SENATE OF CANADA PRESS RELEASE.

PRESS RELEASE
Senate committee recommends significant changes to Official Languages Act
June 13, 2019
Ottawa – The federal government must centralize the application of the Official Languages Act by designating the Treasury Board as the agency responsible for its coordination and clarifying some of the principles and duties outlined in the act as part of a long-overdue modernization of this important piece of legislation, the Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages has said.
In a report released Thursday, the committee recommends the Treasury Board be tasked to adopt a government plan for official languages, supported by an Official Languages Secretariat. The committee recommends transferring the duty for coordinating Part VII of the act to the Treasury Board from now on.
The committee also recommends creating a tribunal to decide proceedings brought under the act and to issue penalties and grant remedies, thereby freeing the Commissioner of Official Languages from a policing role. The modernized act will put more emphasis on the Commissioner’s ombudsman role, giving him or her tools to intervene with federal institutions in a proactive and targeted manner, in the committee’s view.  
These are among 20 recommendations included in the committee’s latest report, which concludes a two-year study on the modernization of the act.
The core problem raised during the study was the weakness of the act’s application and inconsistent compliance among federal institutions. The recommendations prioritize areas of consensus among the more than 300 witnesses who met with the committee and the 72 briefs and follow-ups that were received over the last two years. They are aimed at providing clarity of roles and responsibilities in order to promote the substantive equality of Canada’s both official languages.
The committee also recommends requiring that all Supreme Court judges be able to read and understand both official languages, without the assistance of translation or interpretation services, at the time of their appointment. In addition, the act and its regulations must be reviewed every 10 years, to prevent future modernization of the act depending on political will.

Quick Facts

  • The Official Languages Act turns 50 years old in 2019; its last major reform took place in 1988.
  • The committee consulted with young Canadians, official language minority communities, witnesses of the evolution of the act, the justice sector and federal institutions officials.
  • The 20 recommendations set out in the report seek to address issues with the implementation of the act in four main themes: leadership and cooperation, compliance, enforcement principles and judicial bilingualism.

Quotes

“This report should serve as an effective toolkit as the federal government goes ahead with modernizing the Official Languages Act. The act is long overdue for an overhaul and these recommendations pave the way for clarity in the roles and obligations of the federal government.”
- Senator René Cormier, Chair of the committee 
“Hundreds of engaged witnesses came to committee meetings and public hearings armed with draft amendments to the existing legislation. It is thanks to the rigorous and detailed testimony of these witnesses and their briefs that the committee is able to provide such targeted and practical recommendations.” 
- Senator Rose-May Poirier, Deputy Chair of the committee

Associated Links


For more information, please contact:Sonia Noreau
Public Relations Officer | Senate of Canada
613-614-1180 | sonia.noreau@sen.parl.gc.ca
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