The Government of the Canadian Province of Quebec has sent Public Servants a list of criteria clients must meet in order to be served in a language other than French.
The requirements are part of a new law, known as Bill 96, aimed at protecting the French language in the Province, which will come into effect on 1 June.
The law’s wide scope limits the use of English in the courts and by Public Servants, and imposes stricter language requirements on small businesses, municipalities and public schools.
Public Servants dealing with members of the public have been told to check if a client meets at least one of the conditions on a Ministry list of criteria before offering service in any language other than French.
Services in English, or any language other than French, can only be provided to a client if the person is eligible to go to an English-language school; is Indigenous; has a history of communicating with the institution in English, or is a new immigrant to Canada and is learning French.
How exactly Public Servants are to determine who meets these criteria on a day-to-day basis is unclear. The Ministry said they will have to rely on clients acting in good faith.
One of the law’s more controversial clauses is the one giving immigrants six months from the time of their arrival to learn French, after which they can no longer access most public services in another language.
“The administration has a duty to act as a leader in order to protect and promote French. It must also use the official language exclusively,” the Ministry said in a statement.
Montreal, 23 May 2023
