... there were "attorneys" in Canada.
"
Lawyer Jennifer Myers argued ... ."
Now, if she'd been in Quebec, she might have been an attorney. Or an advocate. Or whatever parody of English the Quebec legislature had come up with lately.
Now, I happen to know a whole lot about this subject (services to the public in both official languages, access to justice in both official languages ...), and I'm not getting this one.
From the article:
George Bartlett, director of prosecutions for the city of Toronto, said a provision of the Highway Traffic Act that requires French-language signs does not apply because City Council never approved it.
Highway Traffic Act? Nothing there. There are
regulations under that Act, the Signs Regulations, that are relevant:
http://www.canlii.org/on/laws/regu/1990r.615/20040901/whole.htmle.g.:
(1.1) Despite subsection (1), where the council of a municipality that is in an area designated by the French Language Services Act designates a portion of a highway under subsection 128 (5) of the Act, ...
-- and of course the French Language Services Act itself:
http://www.canlii.org/on/laws/sta/f-32/20040901/whole.htmlMunicipal by-laws re official languages
14. (1) The council of a municipality that is in an area designated in the Schedule may pass a by-law providing that the administration of the municipality shall be conducted in both English and French and that all or specified municipal services to the public shall be made available in both languages.
Right to services in English and French
(2) When a by-law referred to in subsection (1) is in effect, a person has the right to communicate in English or French with any office of the municipality, and to receive available services to which the by-law applies, in either language.
I don't see what the basis for the decision is, myself. JPs are notorious idiots.
For the info of anyone interested:
http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/charter/Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Part I of the Constitution Act, 1982
16. (1) English and French are the official languages of Canada and have equality of status and equal rights and privileges as to their use in all institutions of the Parliament and government of Canada.
... Advancement of status and use
(3) Nothing in this Charter limits the authority of Parliament or a legislature to advance the equality of status or use of English and French.
... Proceedings of Parliament
17. (1) Everyone has the right to use English or French in any debates and other proceedings of Parliament.
... Parliamentary statutes and records
18. (1) The statutes, records and journals of Parliament shall be printed and published in English and French and both language versions are equally authoritative.
... Proceedings in courts established by Parliament
19. (1) Either English or French may be used by any person in, or in any pleading in or process issuing from, any court established by Parliament.
... Communications by public with federal institutions
20. (1) Any member of the public in Canada has the right to communicate with, and to receive available services from, any head or central office of an institution of the Parliament or government of Canada in English or French, and has the same right with respect to any other office of any such institution where
a) there is a significant demand for communications with and services from that office in such language; or
b) due to the nature of the office, it is reasonable that communications with and services from that office be available in both English and French.
... Continuation of existing constitutional provisions
21. Nothing in sections 16 to 20 abrogates or derogates from any right, privilege or obligation with respect to the English and French languages, or either of them, that exists or is continued by virtue of any other provision of the Constitution of Canada.
Rights and privileges preserved
22. Nothing in sections 16 to 20 abrogates or derogates from any legal or customary right or privilege acquired or enjoyed either before or after the coming into force of this Charter with respect to any language that is not English or French.
Y'know, it's in the constitution, so it must be inalienable, and must have come from natural law or something, eh?
So isn't it high time that citizens of the US had the same rights 'n freedoms we have up here, and demanded that they be able to communicate with their gummint in French??