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- The purpose of the Official Languages Act (OLA) is to ensure respect for English and French as the official languages of Canada. It was enacted in 1969, revised in 1988 and 2005, and overhauled in 2023 to adapt to the legal, technological and sociodemographic realities of our time.
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Official Languages Act (. R.S.C. , 1985, c. 31 (4th Supp.)) Act current to 2024-05-01 and last amended on 2024-01-01. Previous Versions. See coming into force provision and notes, where applicable. Shaded provisions are not in force. Help.
- Executive Summary
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Principles
- 3 Implementation of The Official Languages Act
- 4 Conclusion
- Appendix A – Text Versions of Figures 1, 2A and 2B
The purpose of the Official Languages Act(OLA) is to ensure respect for English and French as the official languages of Canada. It was enacted in 1969, revised in 1988 and 2005, and overhauled in 2023 to adapt to the legal, technological and sociodemographic realities of our time. This HillStudy gives an overview of the principles and implementatio...
The Canadian Constitution does not contain any provisions relating to jurisdiction in matters of language. In a 1988 decision, the Supreme Court of Canada affirmed that the power to legislate in matters of language belongs to both the federal and provincial levels of government, according to their respective legislative authority.1 The first Offici...
The current version of the OLAstates that its purpose is to: The provisions of Parts I to V of the OLA4 have primacy over all other federal legislative or regulatory provisions except those of the Canadian Human Rights Act. The principles underlying these parts, except for Part V, “Language of Work,” derive directly from sections 16 to 20 of the Ca...
3.1 Who Is Responsible for Implementing the Official Languages Act?
The federal institutions covered by the OLAare responsible for its implementation within their respective mandates. The commissioner of Official Languages11 is responsible for ensuring compliance with the spirit and letter of the OLA within these institutions, safeguarding Canadians’ linguistic rights and promoting linguistic duality and the equality of English and French in Canadian society. The commissioner is empowered to hear complaints, conduct inquiries and intervene in the courts. He o...
3.2 Who Is Subject to the Official Languages Act?
All federal institutions are subject to the OLA,22 and some are subject to the obligations relating to communications with and services to the public in both official languages, in accordance with the criteria set out in the Official Languages (Communications with and Services to the Public) Regulations (e.g., criteria relating to significant demand and nature of the office).23 These regulations were reviewed and enhanced in June 2019 to offer Canadians a greater range of bilingual services.2...
3.3 What Are the Recent Changes to the Official Languages Act?
The OLA has undergone very few changes aside from its revision in 1988. An amendment in 2005 added a duty for federal institutions to take positive measures to achieve the implementation of Part VII of the OLA. Then, following pressure from the public, parliamentarians, government agencies and community stakeholders, the federal government committed to a thorough review of the OLA. Numerous reports tabled in 2019 each made its own comments and recommendations to expand the OLA, strengthen its...
The OLA is the main piece of legislation governing the implementation of Canadians’ language rights and establishing the obligations of federal institutions in this regard. A constitutional, regulatory and policy framework also exists and has been mentioned briefly in this paper. There have been many calls in recent years for a major overhaul of th...
Figure 1 – Cross-cutting Responsibilities with Respect to Official Languages
Illustration of crosscutting responsibilities with respect to official languages. 1. Federal institutions are subject to the Official Languages Act, are responsible for its implementation and, as part of their mandate, ensure that the resulting duties are met. 1.1. The President of the Treasury Board coordinates the implementation of the Act. 1.2. The Minister of Justice advises the government on legal issues and litigation relating to language rights. 1.3. The Commissioner of Official Langua...
Figure 2a – Specific Responsibilities with Respect to Official Languages
Illustration of specific responsibilities with respect to official languages, grouped according to Parts I to VI of the Official Languages Act. 1. Responsibility for Part I (Proceedings of Parliament) and Part II (Legislative and Other Instruments) lies with parliamentary institutions. 2. Responsibility for Part III (Administration of Justice) lies with the federal courts and the Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs. 3. Responsibility for Part IV (Communications with and Se...
Figure 2b – Specific Responsibilities with Respect to Official Languages
Illustration of specific responsibilities with respect to official languages, grouped according to Parts VII to X of the Official Languages Act. 1. Responsibility for Part VII (Advancement of Equality of Status and Use of English and French) is shared among five stakeholders. The Treasury Board is responsible for positive measures and intergovernmental agreements. The Minister of Canadian Heritage has responsibilities related to the vitality of official language minority communities, the prom...
Feb 7, 2006 · The Official Languages Act (1969) is the federal statute that made English and French the official languages of Canada. It requires all federal institutions to provide services in English or French on request.
- Proceedings of Parliament. Official languages of Parliament. 4 (1) English and French are the official languages of Parliament, and everyone has the right to use either of those languages in any debates and other proceedings of Parliament.
- Legislative and Other Instruments. Journals and other records. 5 The journals and other records of Parliament shall be made and kept, and shall be printed and published, in both official languages.
- Administration of Justice. Official languages of federal courts. 14 (1) English and French are the official languages of the federal courts, and either of those languages may be used by any person in, or in any pleading in or process issuing from, any federal court.
- Communications with and Services to the Public. Communications and Services. Rights relating to language of communication. 21 Any member of the public in Canada has the right to communicate with and to receive available services from federal institutions in accordance with this Part.
Although the Official Languages Act is not the only piece of federal language law, it is the legislative keystone of Canada's official bilingualism. It was substantially amended in 1988. Both languages are equal in Canada's government and in all the services it controls, such as the courts.
1969: The first federal Official Languages Act is adopted, and it declares English and French to be the two official languages of Canada. 1982 : The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is adopted, and language rights are now strengthened.
The document presents the Government of Canada's vision for official languages reform aimed at modernizing and strengthening the Official Languages Act and its related instruments. It details concrete proposals to better protect and promote official languages and optimize existing measures.
