I was in a situation where I thought I should have been able to use French, but I could not. Who can I speak to about this?
If the situation pertains to a federal matter, you can contact the Commissioner of Official Languages:
30 Victoria Street, 6th floor
Gatineau, Quebec K1A 0T8
Ph: 819-420-4877 or 1-877-996-6368 (toll free)
TTY: 1-800-880-1990
Fax: 819-420-4865
If the situation pertains to a matter in Alberta, you can contact the Office of the Commissioner’s regional office in Edmonton:
9700 Jasper Avenue, Suite 942
Edmonton, AB T5J 4C3
Ph: 780-495-3111 or 1-800-661-3642 (toll free)
Fax: 780-495-4094
Last Reviewed: January 2025
Where can I find a lawyer who speaks French?
To find a French-speaking lawyer, contact your provincial/territorial association of French-speaking lawyers or your provincial/territorial Law Society (which keeps a registry of lawyers able and willing to work in languages other than English). See our page of Additional Resources for links.
Last Reviewed: January 2025
I think I have a good case about something that should be in French but currently isn’t. I cannot afford a lawyer to fight this issue. Is there anything I can do?
You can contact the Court Challenges Program, at the University of Ottawa at:
1 Nicholas St., 15th floor, Room 1507
Ottawa ON K1N 7B7
DirCCPCJ.CCP@uottawa.ca
613-562-5686
If the situation pertains to a matter in Alberta, you can contact the Office of the Commissioner’s regional office in Edmonton:
9700 Jasper Avenue, Suite 942
Edmonton, AB T5J 4C3
Ph: 780-495-3111 or 1-800-661-3642 (toll free)
Fax: 780-495-4094
Last Reviewed: January 2025
Funding for this section was provided by The Language Rights Support Program.
These FAQs were written with help from Laura Snowball, Barrister and Solicitor, and from The Centre for Constitutional Studies.