QUESTION PERIOD — Ministry of Justice
Minority Language Rights
November 19, 2025
Welcome, minister. We are both from Nova Scotia, where the Divorce Act, as amended in 2019, explicitly provides for the right of litigants to be heard in the official language of their choice by a judge who is competent in that language. In Nova Scotia, the absence of a francophone judge in the family division continues to prevent the full implementation of this legal obligation. Can you specify when the Government of Canada intends to appoint a francophone judge to ensure full compliance with the language rights provided for in the Divorce Act?
Thank you for the question. It is essential for Canadians to be able to speak the language of their choice and to use the language of their choice in their daily lives, particularly when dealing with the justice system, whether in the family division or other divisions.
With respect to the appointment of a judge, an independent process has been established to address the situation. Following the recommendations made by the committee responsible, I’m now in a position to proceed with the appointments. However, I’m obligated to wait for the committee’s opinion before issuing recommendations regarding the individuals concerned, their language skills and their legal expertise.
Thank you, minister, but to my knowledge, there are currently no francophones representing Nova Scotia on this federal committee. Does your government recognize that the current situation compromises the consistent application of the Divorce Act across the country, and can you tell me what measures the government plans on taking to work with this province, where the act is still not being enforced, so that this shortcoming can quickly be resolved?
I will discuss your question with my staff, my department and the representatives from Nova Scotia at our next meeting. But the problem is we don’t have anyone who stayed on the committee and who made recommendations. Today, I promise to quickly find a solution to this problem, and I will contact you at a later date to inform you of the process, if you’re interested.
Thank you.
