The Bench and Bar Advisory Committee on French Language Services Publishes its Report on Access to Justice in French in Ontario

Today, the Bench and Bar Advisory Committee on French Language Services published its long-awaited report on Access to justice in French in Ontario.

It is a very important report, as it suggests concrete, concerted measures to address the shortage of bilingual judges in Ontario. It also offers ways of making every federally or provincially appointed member of Ontario’s judiciary more knowledgeable about language rights.

As you may remember, the Committee was established in response to a recommendation that I made to the Attorney General in my 2008-2009 annual report. The Committee, which met for the first time on March 31, 2010, is co-chaired by the Honourable Paul Rouleau, an Ontario Court of Appeal judge, and Paul Le Vay, president of the Association des juristes d’expression française de l’Ontario (AJEFO).

I plan to do a comprehensive analysis of the report, and I will be able to share my comments in the very near future.