Bilingual Quebec communities lose bid to suspend application of language law rules

Bilingual Quebec municipalities have lost their bid to have several parts of the government's French-language reform suspended while their case makes its way through the courts.

Bilingual Quebec municipalities have lost their bid to have several parts of the government's French-language reform suspended while their case makes its way through the courts.

The communities asked the Quebec Superior Court last month to suspend the application of parts of Bill 96 — as the language reform is known — arguing it would cause them serious and irreparable harm.

A lawyer for the cities argued the law could block federal subsidies to cities that don't comply with it, and would give the language watchdog vast powers of search and seizure that exceed those of police.

The Quebec government argued there was no evidence the law has caused any harm, adding that concern alone should not be enough to warrant a stay.

In a decision dated Tuesday, Justice Silvana Conte refused the request for a stay, noting that one should be granted only in exceptional cases and that the municipalities had not proven serious or irreparable damage.

Communities that have bilingual status have the right to serve their citizens in both English and French; municipalities without that status are prohibited from communicating with residents in English.

The bilingual municipalities had asked the court to suspend several parts of the language reform.