Your Language Rights
The first Official Languages Act, which was enacted in 1969, declared that English and French would enjoy equality of status in all institutions of the Parliament and government of Canada. The Act also created the position of Commissioner of Official Languages.
In 1988, the Official Languages Act was considerably modified. This new Act and the Official Languages Regulations, adopted in 1991, not only gave effect to the rights set forth in the 1982 Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, but also established the official languages criteria for communications with and services to the public and to federal employees.
In 2005, the Official Languages Act was once again modified to remind federal institutions of their responsibility to take positive measures to support the development of official language communities and to promote linguistic duality.
Language rights under the Official Languages Act
In this section, you will find all the information you need to file a complaint under the Official Languages Act. You will also find information on how to apply for a court remedy as well as on legal interventions by the Commissioner of Official Languages.
Some official languages rights are set out in sections 16-20 and 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
The Official Languages Act guarantees Canadians the following rights:
- Any member of the public can communicate with the head or central office of any federal institution subject to the Act, as well as with the offices of these institutions that are designated bilingual
, in either English or French. - Federal public servants have the right to work in the official language of their choice in the regions designated bilingual for the purposes of language of work.
- All Canadians, whether English-speaking or French-speaking and without regard to their ethnic origin or first language learned, have the right to benefit from the Government of Canada's commitment to ensuring that they have equal opportunities to obtain employment and advancement in federal institutions.
One of the Commissioner of Official Languages' many roles is to take measures to ensure recognition of the status of each of the official languages and respect of the spirit and intent of the Official Languages Act in the administration of the affairs of federal institutions, including the advancement of English and French in Canadian society. This includes receiving complaints from the public and taking action further to these complaints, if applicable.
