Official Language Act (Quebec)
Encyclopedia
The Official Language Act of 1974 (French
Loi sur la langue officielle), also known as Bill 22, is an act of the National Assembly of Quebec
which made French
the sole official language
of Quebec
, a province of Canada
. It was ultimately supplanted by the Charter of the French Language
(also known as Bill 101) in 1977.
The legislation was drafted in an attempt to follow the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry on the Situation of the French Language and Linguistic Rights in Quebec
. The act made French the official language in a number of areas:
law faculty's most expert counsellors, disputing Bill 22. The testifiers were Dean Frank R. Scott, John Peters Humphrey
, chief planner of the United Nations' Declaration of Human Rights, Irwin Cotler
and four additional legal teachers:http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/editorial/story.html?id=9f05bde7-f404-4065-9d97-b1c68fdb264a&p=1
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
Loi sur la langue officielle), also known as Bill 22, is an act of the National Assembly of Quebec
National Assembly of Quebec
The National Assembly of Quebec is the legislative body of the Province of Quebec. The Lieutenant Governor and the National Assembly compose the Parliament of Quebec, which operates in a fashion similar to those of other British-style parliamentary systems.The National Assembly was formerly the...
which made French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
the sole official language
Official language
An official language is a language that is given a special legal status in a particular country, state, or other jurisdiction. Typically a nation's official language will be the one used in that nation's courts, parliament and administration. However, official status can also be used to give a...
of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, a province of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It was ultimately supplanted by the Charter of the French Language
Charter of the French Language
The Charter of the French Language , also known as Bill 101 and Loi 101, is a law in the province of Quebec in Canada defining French, the language of the majority of the population, as the only official language of Quebec, and framing fundamental language rights for everyone in the province...
(also known as Bill 101) in 1977.
The legislation was drafted in an attempt to follow the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry on the Situation of the French Language and Linguistic Rights in Quebec
Commission of Inquiry on the Situation of the French Language and Linguistic Rights in Quebec
The Commission of Inquiry on the Situation of the French Language and Linguistic Rights in Quebec was established under the Union Nationale government of Jean-Jacques Bertrand on December 9, 1968.- Background :...
. The act made French the official language in a number of areas:
- Language of commercial signing (the use of French was required)
- Language of labour relations and business (businesses wanting to deal with the state had to apply for francization programs)
- Language of instruction (English language public school was restricted to children who had a "sufficient" knowledge of this language)
- Language of legislation and justice (priority was given to French texts in case of ambiguity)
Objections to Bill 22
That English is an official language in Quebec as well, was declared on July 19, 1974 by McGill UniversityMcGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
law faculty's most expert counsellors, disputing Bill 22. The testifiers were Dean Frank R. Scott, John Peters Humphrey
John Peters Humphrey
John Peters Humphrey, OC was a Canadian legal scholar, jurist, and human rights advocate. He is most famous as the author of the first draft of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights....
, chief planner of the United Nations' Declaration of Human Rights, Irwin Cotler
Irwin Cotler
Irwin Cotler, PC, OC, MP was Canada's Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada from 2003 until the Liberal government of Paul Martin lost power following the 2006 federal election. He was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons for the constituency of Mount Royal in a by-election...
and four additional legal teachers:http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/editorial/story.html?id=9f05bde7-f404-4065-9d97-b1c68fdb264a&p=1
Section 1, which provides that French is 'the official language of the province of Quebec,' is misleading in that it suggests that English is not also an official language in Quebec, which it is by virtue of Section 133 of the BNA Act and the federal Official Languages ActOfficial Languages Act (Canada)The Official Languages Act is a Canadian law that came into force on September 9, 1969, which gives English and French equal status in the government of Canada. This makes them "official" languages, having preferred status in law over all other languages...
. ... No legislation in the National Assembly proclaiming French the sole official language in the province can affect these bilingual areas protected by the BNA Act.
See also
- Official Languages Act of Canada
- Legal dispute over Quebec's language policyLegal dispute over Quebec's language policyThe legal dispute over Quebec's language policy began soon after the enactment of the Charter of the French Language by the National Assembly of Quebec in 1977....
- Office québécois de la langue françaiseOffice québécois de la langue françaiseThe Office québécois de la langue française is a public organization established on March 24, 1961 by the Liberal government of Jean Lesage...
- Quiet RevolutionQuiet RevolutionThe Quiet Revolution was the 1960s period of intense change in Quebec, Canada, characterized by the rapid and effective secularization of society, the creation of a welfare state and a re-alignment of politics into federalist and separatist factions...
- Language policyLanguage policyMany countries have a language policy designed to favour or discourage the use of a particular language or set of languages. Although nations historically have used language policies most often to promote one official language at the expense of others, many countries now have policies designed to...
External links
- Integral text of the Law (French-English PDF document)
- Office québécois de la langue française - Repères et jalons historiques (in French)