419:
489:(1975) was cited as finding that section 133 did not really effectively establish a sophisticated official bilingualism for Canada. While rights to bilingualism in legislative bodies might allow for some members to understand each other if they happened to know the language being used, there was no guarantee for this. Moreover, courts should interpret these rights conservatively since they are a political matter. According to
399:(1993), the stated application of section 17 is to "Parliament." This wording is an anomaly because technically Parliament is just an institution that enacts statutes. The rights held under section 17, in contrast, presumably are not held against the statutes of Parliament but rather apply to the debates that occur within Parliamentary institutions, such as the
469:
making Canada's language rights impossible to amend without the support from all provinces as well as the federal government, reveal language rights to be "a response to the peculiar facts of Canada's history." Beetz found that in
Parliament, while section 17 guarantees a right for a person to speak
456:
found that section 17 was so similar to section 133 of the
Constitution Act, 1867 (section 17 was based on section 133) that section 17 would not represent any change in regard to rights that had belonged under section 133. Thus, section 133 case law would influence section 17 case law. Justice
414:
and his fellow-writers agree that section 17 applies to "other activities of
Parliament," including Parliamentary committees, but argue that bilingualism in Parliamentary committees had been allowed for years prior to the Charter and interpreters had been provided.
461:, commenting on section 17's parallel with section 133 of the Constitution Act, 1867, also said that it could represent mere "constitutional continuity." However, she did acknowledge that section 17 being exempt from the
462:
493:, having translators in Parliament is thus not mandatory under section 133, since there is no guarantee everyone will be able to understand an MP who speaks in either English or French. These rights are thus
470:
in either French or
English, this does not extend to guaranteeing a right for the person's speech to be translated so all can understand it; the same line of reasoning had been used for section 133.
364:
167:
279:
267:
263:
251:
247:
243:
239:
235:
231:
227:
215:
203:
191:
187:
183:
179:
175:
163:
151:
139:
135:
131:
127:
123:
119:
115:
111:
99:
87:
83:
79:
67:
55:
43:
410:
This section, as it applies to
Parliament, extends to Parliamentary committees. Witness appearing before a committee have the right to testify in either English or French. Justice
448:
430:
As noted, the section also extends these constitutional rights to New
Brunswick. However, similar statutory rights in New Brunswick had already been in place when the
591:
395:
485:
303:
466:
321:
22:
423:
356:
514:
497:
only. An unconstitutional action would be for
Parliament or a legislature to force a person to leave for speaking in English or French.
616:
601:
434:
came to force. Namely, they were in the
Official Languages of New Brunswick Act. Section 17 thus constitutionalized the rights.
543:, ed. Michel Bastarache, trans. Translation Devinat et Associés, Ottawa, (Montréal, Quebec: Editions Yvon Blais, 1987), p. 102.
596:
384:(2) Everyone has the right to use English or French in any debates and other proceedings of the legislature of New Brunswick.
296:
552:
William Tetley, "Language and
Education Rights in Quebec and Canada (A Legislative History and Personal Political Diary),"
611:
606:
494:
475:
400:
289:
443:
418:
382:
17.(1) Everyone has the right to use
English or French in any debates and other proceedings of Parliament.
351:
35:
346:
518:
338:
411:
342:
334:
404:
585:
458:
360:
473:
This line of thinking regarding section 133 also appeared in the Supreme Court case
578:- Charter of Rights website with video, audio and the Charter in over 20 languages
453:
575:
570:
Overview of section 17 case law at the Canadian Legal Information Institute
569:
556:, Vol. 45, No. 4, Canadian Constitution, 1982. (Autumn, 1982), page 187.
539:
Bastarache, Michel, Andre Braen, Emmanuel Didier and Pierre Foucher,
330:
355:, section 17 also guarantees the right to use both languages in the
417:
345:. While the section 17 right to use either language within the
16:
Constitutional right to use English or French in Parliament
517:. Human Rights Program, Canadian Heritage. Archived from
576:
Fundamental Freedoms: The Charter of Rights and Freedoms
349:
repeats a right already anchored in section 133 of the
515:"Guide to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms"
426:
building, where members may speak English or French.
380:
363:, the only officially bilingual province under
449:Société des Acadiens v. Association of Parents
396:New Brunswick Broadcasting Co. v. Nova Scotia
297:
8:
486:Jones v. Attorney General of New Brunswick
304:
290:
18:
592:Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
506:
393:As noted in the Supreme Court decision
322:Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
273:
257:
221:
209:
197:
157:
145:
105:
93:
73:
61:
49:
21:
424:Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick
7:
329:that addresses rights relating to
198:Minority Language Education Rights
14:
325:is one of the provisions of the
50:Guarantee of Rights and Freedoms
1:
554:Law and Contemporary Problems
476:MacDonald v. City of Montreal
158:Official Languages of Canada
633:
401:House of Commons of Canada
617:New Brunswick Legislature
602:Language policy in Canada
541:Language Rights in Canada
597:Bilingualism in Canada
463:notwithstanding clause
427:
386:
352:Constitution Act, 1867
36:Constitution Act, 1982
26:of Rights and Freedoms
421:
612:Parliament of Canada
607:Language legislation
347:Parliament of Canada
62:Fundamental Freedoms
521:on 21 February 2006
428:
378:Section 17 reads,
365:section 16 of the
335:official languages
412:Michel Bastarache
314:
313:
74:Democratic Rights
624:
557:
550:
544:
537:
531:
530:
528:
526:
511:
467:amending formula
405:Senate of Canada
306:
299:
292:
24:Canadian Charter
19:
632:
631:
627:
626:
625:
623:
622:
621:
582:
581:
566:
561:
560:
551:
547:
538:
534:
524:
522:
513:
512:
508:
503:
495:negative rights
440:
391:
383:
376:
310:
146:Equality Rights
94:Mobility Rights
25:
17:
12:
11:
5:
630:
628:
620:
619:
614:
609:
604:
599:
594:
584:
583:
580:
579:
573:
565:
564:External links
562:
559:
558:
545:
532:
505:
504:
502:
499:
439:
438:Interpretation
436:
390:
387:
375:
372:
312:
311:
309:
308:
301:
294:
286:
283:
282:
276:
275:
271:
270:
260:
259:
255:
254:
224:
223:
219:
218:
212:
211:
207:
206:
200:
199:
195:
194:
160:
159:
155:
154:
148:
147:
143:
142:
108:
107:
103:
102:
96:
95:
91:
90:
76:
75:
71:
70:
64:
63:
59:
58:
52:
51:
47:
46:
40:
39:
30:
29:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
629:
618:
615:
613:
610:
608:
605:
603:
600:
598:
595:
593:
590:
589:
587:
577:
574:
571:
568:
567:
563:
555:
549:
546:
542:
536:
533:
520:
516:
510:
507:
500:
498:
496:
492:
488:
487:
482:
478:
477:
471:
468:
464:
460:
459:Bertha Wilson
455:
451:
450:
445:
444:Supreme Court
437:
435:
433:
425:
420:
416:
413:
408:
406:
402:
398:
397:
388:
385:
379:
373:
371:
369:
368:
362:
361:New Brunswick
358:
354:
353:
348:
344:
340:
336:
332:
328:
324:
323:
318:
307:
302:
300:
295:
293:
288:
287:
285:
284:
281:
278:
277:
272:
269:
265:
262:
261:
256:
253:
249:
245:
241:
237:
233:
229:
226:
225:
220:
217:
214:
213:
208:
205:
202:
201:
196:
193:
189:
185:
181:
177:
173:
169:
165:
162:
161:
156:
153:
150:
149:
144:
141:
137:
133:
129:
125:
121:
117:
113:
110:
109:
104:
101:
98:
97:
92:
89:
85:
81:
78:
77:
72:
69:
66:
65:
60:
57:
54:
53:
48:
45:
42:
41:
38:
37:
32:
31:
28:
27:
20:
553:
548:
540:
535:
523:. Retrieved
519:the original
509:
490:
484:
480:
479:(1986). In
474:
472:
447:
442:In the 1986
441:
431:
429:
409:
394:
392:
381:
377:
366:
350:
326:
320:
316:
315:
171:
106:Legal Rights
34:
33:Part of the
23:
389:Application
357:legislature
258:Application
210:Enforcement
586:Categories
501:References
465:, and the
454:Jean Beetz
452:, Justice
317:Section 17
525:April 23,
491:MacDonald
481:MacDonald
274:Citation
44:Preamble
432:Charter
367:Charter
339:English
333:'s two
327:Charter
319:of the
222:General
343:French
331:Canada
446:case
527:2006
422:The
403:and
374:Text
341:and
168:16.1
359:of
588::
483:,
407:.
370:.
337:,
280:34
268:33
266:,
264:32
252:31
250:,
248:30
246:,
244:29
242:,
240:28
238:,
236:27
234:,
232:26
230:,
228:25
216:24
204:23
192:22
190:,
188:21
186:,
184:20
182:,
180:19
178:,
176:18
174:,
172:17
170:,
166:,
164:16
152:15
140:14
138:,
136:13
134:,
132:12
130:,
128:11
126:,
124:10
122:,
118:,
114:,
86:,
82:,
572:.
529:.
305:e
298:t
291:v
120:9
116:8
112:7
100:6
88:5
84:4
80:3
68:2
56:1
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.