Status Report 2002-2003

Implementation of Section 41 of the
Official Languages Act

Francophonie, Justice in Official Languages and Bijuralism

OBJECTIVE: Within the Department, ensure that the accountability framework for the implementation of Section 41 of the Official Languages Act, which establishment was approved by the Cabinet in 1994, is respected.

PRINCIPAL MEASURES

OUTPUTS 2002-2003

• Revitalize the network of regional co-ordinators and create sustainable relations with interest groups in order to promote the Department's programs and develop partnerships.

• We revitalized the network of regional co-ordinators in October 2002 and established lasting links with the official language minority communities in order to make the Department and its programs better known. Information is mailed quarterly to the official language minority communities at the national and regional level to inform them about the Department, grant and contribution programs and the deadlines for submitting projects.

• Produce and validate the strategic plan and the result-based management and framework in the official language minority communities.

• The Department consulted the official language minority communities in November 2002 in order to identify their priority needs. The strategic plan will be submitted to the Executive Council for approval in the Fall 2003. A five-year action plan will be established with the representatives of the programs identified in 2003-2004. The five-year action plan for the implementation of section 41 will cover the period from 2004 to 2009.

• Create an ongoing process of consultation with these communities.

• The Department has distributed the list of official language minority communities to the people responsible for the grant and contribution programs, inviting these communities to submit projects. A meeting with representatives from the media and communications sectors was held to encourage them to publish in French-language newspapers outside Quebec and to take into account those communities during the consultations.

OBJECTIVE: To give consideration to initiatives that promote bijuralism inside the Department of Justice, and beyond the Department in its fields of activity.

PRINCIPAL MEASURES

OUTPUTS 2002-2003

• Ensure that training sessions are organized and given to the main stakeholders in the Canadian legal world.

• In co-operation with the National Judicial Institute, an initial training program was created for federally appointed judges.

Person responsible:
Suzanne Poirier, General Counsel, Francophonie, Justice in Official Languages and Bijuralism