STAY GRANTED IN FIRST COURT CHALLENGE TO BILL 96
August 12, 2022 – Earlier today, Justice Chantal Corriveau of the Superior Court of Quebec handed down her judgment regarding a stay on the legal translation obligations of Bill 96, An Act respecting French, the official and common language of Québec.
In her decision, Justice Corriveau granted the stay – i.e. a legal ‘pause’ – on the application of sections 9 and 208.6 of the Charter of the French Language (modified by Bill 96), which were to come into effect on September 1. These two provisions require legal persons (such as corporations, non-profit organizations, and small businesses) to file certified French-language translations of all English-language documents submitted during court proceedings, at their own expense. This decision means that until the case is reviewed on its merits (likely later this autumn), sections 9 and 208.6 will not take effect.
