Canada’s justice minister criticized Quebec’s newly adopted language law on Wednesday, while providing details on how and when the federal government could join the legal challenge against the province’s controversial law on religious symbols.
His remarks seem to have angered the Quebec prime minister.
“It doesn’t make sense,” said Francois Lego, who added that a majority in Quebec was in favor of both laws.
David Lametti weighed in on Quebec’s new language law, Bill 96, which was passed on Tuesday, and said he would not rule out Ottawa taking part in a lawsuit against it.
“We will keep all the options on the table,” he said. “We will not eliminate the possibility of joining judicial challenges when we believe it is necessary to protect the constitutional rights of Canadians.
The vast new language law has a wide scope.
It restricts the use of English in courts and public services and imposes stricter language requirements on small businesses and municipalities. It also limits the number of students who can attend English-language CEGEP, which are junior colleges, and increases the number of French courses that students at this level must take.
Lametti said he was concerned about the potential impact of the law on immigrants, access to justice and health care in French and English, and the rights of indigenous peoples.
He also criticized Quebec’s preventive use of the independence clause, which essentially protects Bill 96 from legal challenges based on the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Quebec is also using the independence clause for its controversial law on religious symbols – also known as the Bill 21.
“I remember these debates when the Constitution came into force and the independence clause had to be the last word,” Lametti told reporters on Wednesday morning.
“It shouldn’t have been the first word.”
WATCH The Federal Minister of Justice says Canada may consider legally challenging Bill 96:
Lametti: “Am I less than Quebec because I am against Bill 96? No’
Justice Minister and Attorney General of Canada David Lametti says the federal government could potentially join lawsuits against Quebec’s Bill 96.
Lametti, who is also a federal MP for the LaSalle-Émard-Verdun ride in Montreal, asked a series of questions from reporters about the possible involvement of the federal government in a legal dispute against both Bill 96 and Bill 21.
In what appears to be Ottawa’s most outspoken statement so far in the legal battle against the Religious Symbols Act, Lametti said the federal government would be ready to present its opinion to Canada’s Supreme Court.
“We have always said from the beginning that we have some concerns about this bill and that we will leave little room for Quebecers to express themselves in court,” Lametti said.
“Once [Quebec] The Court of Appeal ruled, we will go to the Supreme Court to give its views on this, because [at that point]that would be, by definition, a national issue. “
In the past, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said he prefers not to take part in a lawsuit against Bill 21, while remaining ready to intervene at some point in the process. But during a public appearance in Saskatchewan on Wednesday afternoon, Trudeau repeated Lametti’s comments.
“If Bill 21, which seems almost inevitable, goes before the Supreme Court, the Canadian government will be part of that discussion,” Trudeau said.
“We will be there to protect the fundamental rights of all Canadians [whose rights] are suspended by this law. This is an issue that matters to all Canadians. “
So far, only the Quebec Supreme Court has issued a ruling on Bill 21.
David Lametti, Canada’s justice minister, said the federal government would monitor the implementation of Quebec’s latest language law. (Adrian Wilde / Canadian Press)
“Obvious lack of respect” for Quebec residents, Lego said
Quebec Prime Minister Francois Lego has accused Lametti of committing to go to the Supreme Court before the Quebec Court of Appeals even issued its own decision. He also spoke harshly to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
“It’s a blatant lack of respect from Justin Trudeau for Quebecers,” Lego said.
Lego also described a potential legal challenge to the new language law as further evidence of a lack of respect for Quebec.
The adoption of Bill 96 on Tuesday came after weeks of protests over fears it would violate the rights of Anglophones, allophones and local communities.
The Lego government has insisted that the new law will not do such a thing, but many legal experts disagree.
The Federal Minister of Justice has expressed concern over a clause in the language law that gives broad powers to the Quebec language service to investigate companies suspected of not working in the official language of the province.
“I am from Quebec. As a Quebec citizen, I am concerned about access to health care. “I am concerned about the possibility of a search and seizure and whether this violates the rights of the charter,” Lameti said.
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