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https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/language-laws-hearings-bill-1.6196015
Hearings on Quebec's proposed overhaul of French language law underway at National Assembly | CBC News
Some participants in the hearings have raised concerns about the bill's effect on English-speaking Quebecers and the independence of the judiciary.
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Hearings on Quebec's c overhaul of French language law underway at National Assembly
'A change of this magnitude requires serious discussions and debate,' said Marlene Jennings
Simon Jolin-Barrette, the provincial minister responsible for the French language, says Bill 96 will not infringe upon the rights of English-speaking Quebecers.
Quebec's proposed overhaul of its French-language charter is under the microscope at legislative hearings, with participants this week raising concerns about the bill's effect on English-speaking Quebecers and the independence of the judiciary.
Tabled in May, Bill 96 is Quebec's plan to upgrade Bill 101, the province's French-language charter first adopted in 1977 by the government of René Lévesque.
Premier François Legault's government has described its proposed reform as a reasonable response to studies by Quebec's French-language office that indicate French is on the decline in the province, particularly in Montreal.
The bill is still making its way through the legislative process but drew national attention during the English-language federal election debate. Moderator Shachi Kurl described Bill 96 as one of two "discriminatory'' pieces of legislation in Quebec, the other being Bill 21, which bans some public sector workers from wearing religious symbols on the job.
Bill 96 seeks to unilaterally change the Canadian Constitution to affirm Quebec as a nation and French its official language. It also includes 200 amendments that aim to strengthen the status of French. They include a call for tougher sign laws, more language requirements for businesses and less access to English-language CEGEPs.
Bill 101 ?
The Charter of the French Language is a law in the province of Quebec in Canada defining French, the language of the majority ofr the population, as the official language of the provincial government. Bill 101 made it a right to receive information in French.
overhaul : to completely change a system so that it works more effectively
underway : If something is underway, it is happening now ( get underway : to begin )
magnitude : the large size or importance of something
infringe : to break a rule, law, etc.
charter : a formal statement of the rights of a country's people, or of an organization or a particular social group, that is agreed by or demanded from a ruler or government
legislative : relating to laws or the making of laws
indicate : to show, point , or make clear in another way
discriminatory : treating a person or group differently from and usually worse than other people, because of their skin colur, sex, sexuality, etc.
amendment : a change or changes made to the words of a text