Access to Justice in Both Official Languages: A Basic Right

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - May 17, 2012) - Official Languages Commissioner Graham Fraser announced today that he will carry out a study that could lead to improvements in access to justice in both official languages for all.

Access to Justice in Both Official Languages: Improving the Bilingual Capacity of the Judiciary for Superior Courts will be conducted in partnership with the French Language Services Commissioner of Ontario and the Commissioner of Official Languages of New Brunswick.

The study, which is scheduled to start in summer 2012, will look in detail at two issues under federal government responsibility that contribute to institutional bilingualism of the judiciary of superior courts: the selection and appointment process for the judiciary, and language training provided to judges appointed to superior courts. To gather a cross-Canada perspective, the study will look at superior courts and appeal courts of six provinces: Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, Alberta, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

The Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages is committed to a fair, open and transparent tendering process, which will be conducted through the Government Electronic Tendering Service (MERX).