Tag Archive for: Marion Sandilands

For equality in Canada’s Official Languages Bill

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Including the references to Quebec’s Charter of the French Language within Bill C-13 “does not provide any additional protections to the French language in the federal law,” Senator Tony Loffreda told his fellow senators before the bill was passed. He pointed out that “Marion Sandilands, a lawyer and member of the Quebec Community Groups Network explained that to see the Charter of French Language referenced in the federal Official Languages Act, whose purpose before Bill C-13 was to protect and uphold minority language rights, is a contradiction.”

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C-13 set to become law with Bill 96 references

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Bill C-13 is set to become law after senators voted in favour of the legislation on Thursday. During the June 5 testimony to the Senate committee studying the bill, lawyer Marion Sandilands, representing the Quebec Community Groups Network, argued that the inclusion of references to Quebec’s Bill 101 within the federal C-13 “impacts the interpretation” of the entire bill.

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Bill 96: Protecting The French Language

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Bill 96 is Quebec’s legislation which aims to make French the primary language of the province. Bill 96 would also declare Quebec ‘A Nation’—a move that would require opening up the Constitution. What could possibly go wrong?

Premier François Legault says the main reason for the need is the declining use of French in Quebec. Supporters of Bill 96 see it as essential because there is so much English in North America.

On the other side of the coin, is minority rights as anglophones in Quebec start to feel targeted. What has many concerned is Quebec’s plan to use the Notwithstanding clause to get what it wants. Constitutional law experts are at odds whether Quebec can unilaterally change the Constitution, which further muddies the water.

QCGN legal counsel Marion Sandilands discusses Bill 96’s impact on Canadian federalism and English language rights in Quebec with Warren Kinsella and Peter L. Biro.

Watch here