Modernization of the Official Languages Act /

MODERNIZATION OF THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGES ACT Report of the Standing Committee on Official Languages The Honourable Denis Paradis, Chair JUNE 2019 42nd PARLIAMENT, 1st SESSION Published under the authority of the Speaker of the House of Commons SPEAKER’S PERMISSION The proceedings of the House of Commons and its Committees are hereby made available to provide greater public access. [...] Recommendation 1 That the Government of Canada, as part of its modernization of the Official Languages Act, add an interpretative clause seeking to prioritize the goals and objectives of the Act; define and reinforce the concept of positive measures and other key concepts related to the effective application of the Act; and recognize the constitutional specificity of New Brunswick. [...] Other institutions—the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages and the Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages—have also considered the matter.1 The Committee’s study aims to complement other parliamentary work.2 The Committee believes that the modernization of the Act is an opportunity to correct systemic problems that affect the advancement of English and French in Canadian soci [...] To date, four reports from this comprehensive study have been published: Modernizing the Official Languages Act: The Views of Young Canadians; The Views of Official Language Minority Communities; The Views of Stakeholders Who Have Witnessed the Evolution of the Act and The Views of the Justice Sector. [...] As a result, the “tribunal itself processes the application, offers mediation services and adjudicates on the merits of a dispute.”79 Of course, such a model would change the role of the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages.