The Justice Minister of Canada on Wednesday criticized Quebec’s recently passed language law, while offering details on how and when the federal government could get involved in challenging the province’s controversial religious symbols law.
His remarks appear to have angered the Prime Minister of Quebec.
“It doesn’t make sense,” said François Legault, who added that most Quebeckers are in favor of both laws.
David Lametti spoke on Quebec’s new language law, Bill 96, which was passed on Tuesday, and said he would not rule out Ottawa being involved in a legal challenge against it.
“We will have all the options on the table,” he said. “We will not rule out the possibility of joining the judicial challenges where we believe it is necessary to protect the constitutional rights of Canadians.”
The new comprehensive language law has a wide scope.
It limits the use of English to courts and public services and imposes stricter language requirements on small businesses and municipalities. It also limits the number of students who can attend CEGEPs in English, which are undergraduate universities, and increases the number of French courses that students at this level must take.
Lametti said he was concerned about the potential effects of the law on immigrants, access to justice and health care in both French and English, as well as indigenous rights.
He also criticized Quebec’s precautionary use of the harmless clause, which essentially protects Bill 96 from legal challenges based on the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Quebec also used the clause however for its controversial law on religious symbols, also known as Bill 21.
“I remember those debates when the Constitution came into force and the clause nevertheless had to be the last word,” Lametti said when he met with reporters Wednesday morning.
“It didn’t have to be the first word.”
TARGET | The federal justice minister says Canada may consider challenging Bill 96:
Lametti: “Am I less Quebecois because I oppose Bill 96? No.”
Justice Minister and Attorney General of Canada David Lametti says the federal government could join lawsuits against Quebec’s 96th bill.
Lametti, who is also the federal deputy for the LaSalle – Émard – Verdun district of Montreal, answered a series of questions from reporters about the possible involvement of the federal government in a legal challenge against both law 96 and law 21.
In what appears to be Ottawa’s most definitive statement to date on getting involved in the legal battle against the religious symbol law, Lametti said the federal government would be willing to present its views to the Supreme Court of Canada.
“We’ve always said from the beginning that we have some concerns with this bill and that we would leave room for Quebecers to speak in court,” Lametti said.
“Once [Quebec] The Court of Appeal rules, we will go to the Supreme Court to give our opinion on why [at that point]it would be, by definition, a national issue. “
In the past, Trudeau has said he prefers to stay out of the judicial challenge against Bill 21, although he remains open to intervening at some point in the process. So far, only the Quebec Superior Court has issued a decision on the bill.
The case is expected to end in the Supreme Court of Canada.
David Lametti, Canada’s justice minister, said the federal government will monitor how Quebec’s latest language law is implemented. (Adrian Wyld / The Canadian Press)
“Blatant disrespect” to Quebecers, says Legault
Quebec Prime Minister François Legault denounced Lametti’s commitment to go to the Supreme Court before the Quebec Court of Appeal even issued its own decision. He also had harsh words for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
“It’s a blatant disrespect from Justin Trudeau to Quebecers,” Legault said.
Legault also described a possible legal challenge to the new language law as further proof of Quebec’s lack of respect.
The passage of Act 96 on Tuesday came after weeks of protests over concerns that it violates the rights of Anglophones, allophones and indigenous communities.
The Legault government has insisted that the new law would not do such a thing, but many legal experts disagree.
The federal justice minister has expressed concern over a language law clause that gives broad powers to the Quebec language office to investigate companies suspected of not operating in the province’s official language.
“I am a Quebecker. As a citizen of Quebec, I am concerned about access to health care. I am concerned about the ability to conduct searches and confiscations and whether this violates the rights of the Charter,” Lametti said.