Supreme Court rules New Brunswick lieutenant-governor must be bilingual
The 6-3 ruling says the province’s top representative must personally speak English and French to reflect equality of the two official languages.
- On Friday, the Supreme Court ruled that the lieutenant-governor of New Brunswick must communicate in both English and French, with a 6-3 decision confirming that appointing a unilingual official violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
- The Acadian Society of New Brunswick launched the lawsuit following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's 2019 appointment of Brenda Murphy, arguing the appointment violated the right to receive government services in either official language.
- Writing for the majority, Chief Justice Richard Wagner stated, "New Brunswick's language regime remains institutional bilingualism," rejecting the federal argument that only the institution—not the person—must operate in both languages.
- Three justices dissented, with Justice Malcolm Rowe warning the reasoning could imply other officials like the premier must also be bilingual; current lieutenant-governor Louise Imbeault already speaks English and French, complying with the ruling.
- To avoid potential legal chaos, the Supreme Court issued a declaration that future unilingual appointments violate the Charter, rather than invalidating past legislation and preserving the status of cabinet orders Murphy signed during her tenure.
24 Articles
24 Articles
Canada high court rules New Brunswick language rights require bilingual lieutenant governor
The Supreme Court of Canada held on Friday that the person who holds the office of New Brunswick’s Lieutenant Governor must be able to perform their official functions in both official languages: English and French. A unilingual appointee violates the equality of status between the two languages in the provincial government. Section 16(2) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees the equality of status, rights and privileges betw…
The Toronto Star
Supreme Court rules New Brunswick lieutenant-governor must be bilingual
OTTAWA - The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that the lieutenant-governor of New Brunswick must be able to perform their functions in both official languages.
The Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the person occupying the position of Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick must speak English and French.
The 2019 appointment of Brenda Murphy, a unilingual Anglophone, to the position of Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick, was unconstitutional. In a decision rendered Friday at 6 to 3, the Supreme Court...
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