Supreme Court rules Canada is foolingual

I can hear Pierre Trudeau screaming “You fools!”

Four judges of the Supreme Court of Canada(Beverley McLachlin, Marshall Rothstein, Michael J. Moldaver, and Richard Wagner) have ruled that evidence cannot be presented in French in British Columbia courts because of a 1731 law enacted in England.

The court’s decision can be read HERE

Despite Trudeau’s efforts to embrace the notion of a bilingual Canada, unilinguists continue to thwart his vision. The recent court case is proof(in English) that some judges are not worth the $370,000 per year they are paid.

In a dissenting opinion, Justice Andromache Karakatsanis(with Louis LeBel and Rosalie Silberman Abella) concluded:
“Neither the 1731 Act nor the British Columbia Civil Rules addresses the language of exhibits in court proceedings. In light of the silence of the British Columbia legislature on this issue, and pursuant to the court’s inherent jurisdiction, judges of the B.C. Supreme Court may allow French language documents, not prepared for use in court, to be filed in evidence as exhibits where this will ensure the administration of justice according to law in a regular, orderly and effective manner.”

Safer Railways Act – Ha!

I was in Lac-Megantic today. It reminded me that Harper’s Safer Railways Act received royal assent May 17, 2012. They removed, deleted, gutted the following from the law: “To recognize the responsibility of railway companies in ensuring the safety of their operations.”
You got your wish Stephen.