PART IVCOMMUNICATIONS WITH AND SERVICES TO THE PUBLIC

Communications and Services

Marginal note:Rights relating to language of communication

21. Any member of the public in Canada has the right to communicate with and to receive available services from federal institutions in accordance with this Part.

Marginal note:Where communications and services must be in both official languages

22. Every federal institution has the duty to ensure that any member of the public can communicate with and obtain available services from its head or central office in either official language, and has the same duty with respect to any of its other offices or facilities

• (a) within the National Capital Region; or

• (b) in Canada or elsewhere, where there is significant demand for communications with and services from that office or facility in that language.

Marginal note:Travelling public

• 23. (1) For greater certainty, every federal institution that provides services or makes them available to the travelling public has the duty to ensure that any member of the travelling public can communicate with and obtain those services in either official language from any office or facility of the institution in Canada or elsewhere where there is significant demand for those services in that language.

• Marginal note:Services provided pursuant to a contract

  (2) Every federal institution has the duty to ensure that such services to the travelling public as may be prescribed by regulation of the Governor in Council that are provided or made available by another person or organization pursuant to a contract with the federal institution for the provision of those services at an office or facility referred to in subsection (1) are provided or made available, in both official languages, in the manner prescribed by regulation of the Governor in Council.

Marginal note:Nature of the office

• 24. (1) Every federal institution has the duty to ensure that any member of the public can communicate in either official language with, and obtain available services in either official language from, any of its offices or facilities in Canada or elsewhere

  • (a) in any circumstances prescribed by regulation of the Governor in Council that relate to any of the following:

    • (i) the health, safety or security of members of the public,

    • (ii) the location of the office or facility, or

    • (iii) the national or international mandate of the office; or

  • (b) in any other circumstances prescribed by regulation of the Governor in Council where, due to the nature of the office or facility, it is reasonable that communications with and services from that office or facility be available in both official languages.

• Marginal note:Institutions reporting directly to Parliament

  (2) Any federal institution that reports directly to Parliament on any of its activities has the duty to ensure that any member of the public can communicate with and obtain available services from all of its offices or facilities in Canada or elsewhere in either official language.

• Marginal note:Idem

  (3) Without restricting the generality of subsection (2), the duty set out in that subsection applies in respect of

  • (a) the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages;

  • (b) the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer;

  • (b.1) the Office of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner;

  • (c) the Office of the Auditor General;

  • (d) the Office of the Information Commissioner;

  • (e) the Office of the Privacy Commissioner; and

  • (f) the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying.