Official Languages Act (Canada)

E942802

The Official Languages Act (Canada) is a federal law that establishes English and French as the country’s official languages and guarantees their equal status and use within federal institutions.

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Statements (49)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Canadian federal legislation
federal statute
language law
administeredBy Department of Canadian Heritage NERFINISHED
aimsTo ensure equality of status of English and French
promote the full recognition and use of English and French in Canadian society
support the development of official language minority communities
appliesTo Parliament of Canada NERFINISHED
federal Crown corporations
federal courts of Canada
federal government departments and agencies
federal institutions of Canada NERFINISHED
containsPart provisions on advancement of English and French
provisions on communications with and services to the public
provisions on language of work in federal institutions
provisions on participation of English- and French-speaking Canadians in federal institutions
provisions on the Commissioner of Official Languages
provisions on the administration of justice in federal courts
country Canada
createsOfficeOf Commissioner of Official Languages NERFINISHED
ensuresRightToUseLanguageIn English in federal institutions
French in federal institutions
establishesStatusAsOfficialLanguage English
French NERFINISHED
firstEnacted 1969
firstEnactedUnderPrimeMinister Pierre Elliott Trudeau GENERATED
guaranteesEqualStatusOf English NERFINISHED
French
jurisdiction Canadian federal government (Ottawa)
surface form: Government of Canada
languageOfDocument English
French
legalBasisFor Canada’s official bilingualism at the federal level
majorAmendmentYear 2005
2023
majorRevisionYear 1988
officialLanguageDeclared English
French
overseenBy Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat NERFINISHED
protectsRight to communicate with federal institutions in English or French
to receive services from federal institutions in English or French
to work in English or French in designated federal workplaces
relatedTo Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms NERFINISHED
section 16 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
requires federal institutions to ensure that communications and services are available in both official languages where there is significant demand
federal institutions to ensure that the public can use either official language when dealing with head or central offices
federal institutions to take positive measures to support official language minority communities
requiresServicesIn English
French
shortTitle Official Languages Act NERFINISHED

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Indigenous Languages Act (Canada) relatedTo Official Languages Act (Canada)