Volume 23, Number 2, 1982

EN:

The 1977 « Charte de la langue française » can only be considered as a major event in the history of the French language in Quebec. The law enacting the Charter states, in its first section, that French is the official language in Quebec. Consequently, French is the language of work in Quebec. The « Office de la langue française », therein instituted, is empowered to see that fact and law be but one in such field.

The following pages will be concerned mainly with the interpretation of the various sections of the Charter relative to the language of work, interpretation which will envisage the possible jurisdictional conflicts as well as take into account the consequences of the application of the Charter in labour relations.

EN:

While the Constitutional Charter of Rights and the Canadian Bill of Rights have benefited to some degree from the debates and criticisms surrounding their adoption and application, few jurists are aware of the Canadian Human Rights Act. This statute pursues at the federal level the same goals as those set forth in provincial human rights legislation such as the Charte des droits et libertés de la personne. It applies to more than ten per cent of the Quebec labour force and, therefore, is not without influence in the implementation of human rights policies and the redress of grievances.

The purpose of this paper is to compare the Canadian Human Rights Act with other existing charters. In a first part, we will present the nature and scope of the Act, in a comparative perspective. The second part of the paper will deal with the implementation of the Act by the Canadian Human Rights Commission and Tribunals, also in a comparative perspective.

EN:

Government has, by its administrative hand, permeated practically all fields of human activity. Civil servants are therefore giving about more information than ever, information upon which citizens rely to act in such or such manner. What happens though if the information, given in good faith, happens to be erroneous ? That question is precisely the object of this article. Its author considers and weighs the effectiveness of three recourses ; one whereby the legality of the information would be upheld in spite of its erroneous character ; another whereby, the Government would be held liable for damages sustained by an ill informed citizen ; finally, one for redress in equity before the ombudsman.

EN:

How are administrative acts of local governments — as opposed to judicial and quasi judicial acts — affected by informality or, more generally speaking, by procedural irregularities ? The author ventures a few answers to the question in his analysis that spans from prerequisites to initial implementation