The Charter of the French Language is a law that was adopted by the Quebec National Assembly in 1977. Its aim is to ensure the quality and influence of the French language. The Charter makes French the province’s official language: the language of the law, education, communications, business and trade, as well as the normal everyday language in the workplace.

Yes. The Charter of the French Language states that every consumer has the right to be informed and served in French in Quebec.

The law makes no mention of answering machines or voicemail, but a refusal to offer services in French would obviously be contrary to the rights enshrined in the Charter.

No. It is not compulsory for decisions to be rendered in French. However, if a decision is rendered in English, you are entitled to have it translated into French at no additional cost, and vice versa if the decision is rendered in French.

The choice of French or English in court procedures is a right that is enshrined in the 1867 Canadian Constitution, and this requirement has been included in the Charter of the French Language itself since 1993.

The Charter states that public signs and commercial advertising must be in French. They can also be in French and another language provided that the French content is clearly predominant.

However, regulations authorize certain situations in which the sole use of another language is permitted (e.g. a public sign only in a language other than French regarding a conference intended for a specific or restricted group is allowed for the duration of the event) or where French does not have to be predominant (e.g.: a public sign regarding public health or safety can be in both French and another language, provided that the French content is of at least equal prominence).

It should be noted that the law no longer makes any distinction between public signs and advertising contained inside and outside a commercial establishment.

In principle, no. The Charter states that education must be provided in French in kindergarten, and in primary and secondary school. There are some exceptions to this rule:

• if the child received the greater part of his or her primary or secondary schooling in English in Canada;
  
  
• if the child’s brother or sister received the greater part of his or her primary or secondary schooling in English in Canada;
  
  
• if the child’s mother or father received the greater part of his or her primary schooling in English in Canada.

In the first two cases, the child’s mother or father must have Canadian citizenship. In the third case, the child’s mother or father must have Canadian citizenship unless he or she was educated in Quebec.

In addition, a student temporarily residing in Quebec may be authorized to receive his or her education in English. In such cases, authorization must be obtained from the Department of Education.

Some other exceptions exist. For more information, consult the website of the Ministère de L'Education.

The Office québécois de la langue française is responsible for enforcing the Charter of the French Language and its regulations. As such, all complaints must be made to the Office.

Complaints must be written and signed. You must include your contact information (your identity will not be revealed without your authorization) and a detailed description of the situation. If the Office determines that the complaint is valid, it may request that the offender correct the situation. If the situation is not corrected, the offender may have to pay a fine.

If your employer requires that you speak a language other than French in order to obtain a job or position, but you believe the knowledge of this other language is not necessary to perform the job, you can contact the Commission des relations du travail to file a complaint.

The Office québécois de la langue française was created to formulate and lead Quebec’s policy on linguistic research and terminology. It is also responsible for ensuring that French is the language of communications, work, trade, business, public service and companies.

More specifically, you can contact the Office to:

• learn the correct French term to be used in a given context;
  
• help you implement a francization program in your business.