23 bilingual municipalities ask judge to suspend portions of Quebec's language law

A group of 23 bilingual municipalities are in Quebec Superior Court today to ask a judge to stay the application of several portions of the province's 2022 language reform. A person holds a sign at a rally to protest the language reform law, known as Bill 96, in Montreal, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

A group of 23 bilingual municipalities are in Quebec Superior Court today to ask a judge to suspend the application of several portions of the province's 2022 language reform.

Lawyer Julius Grey told the Montreal courtroom that the law contains measures that will have "enormous consequences" for cities that have the right to serve citizens in both French and English.

Grey says the law could prevent cities from writing contracts in English, would grant the government the ability to withhold subsidies, and gives the language watchdog vast powers of search and seizure that exceed those of police.

He's asking the judge to suspend the application of several provisions until a full hearing can be held on the validity of the law, for which the government proactively invoked the notwithstanding clause to shield it from some court challenges.

For its part, Quebec government lawyer Charles Gravel told Justice Silvana Conte that the municipalities' arguments are founded on fears rather than facts or legal arguments.

He says there's no proof any seizures have happened and the cities' concern shouldn't be enough to suspend the law without evidence it's caused any harm.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 30, 2024.