Judge quashes traffic tickets over missing French

[Canadian Socialist]

Last Updated Fri, 17 Jun 2005 19:09:46 EDT
CBC News

A judge in Winnipeg has tossed out nine traffic tickets because they weren't completely written in Canada's two official languages.

Provincial Court Judge Glenn Joyal ruled Friday that the tickets, handed out to six people, are invalid because portions of the tickets were written in English only.

Winnipeg's city charter says tickets issued to people in the largely francophone Riel District must be in both official languages.
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http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/06/17/winnipeg-traffic050617.html

I'm very interested in this case. Does anyone know of any other region/city (outside of Quebec and New Brunswick) that has similar bylaws?

[Bassic]

1. I'm pretty sure Ottawa has the same policy

Might go for all of eastern Ontario (east of Ottawa anyway) as well, since the majority of the people who live there are francophones.

[tuvor]

2. Oh, for fuck sakes.

Just issue them new tickets.

[achtung_circus]

3. If a ticket is not "regular on its face"

it is quashed by the Judge or JP. Case closed, no option to revise or reissue.

[Maple]

4. We have two official languages

Do it right or not at all.

[SixStrings]

5. Well,

If I get a ticket in Quebec - or any of these other French regions - and it's written entirely in French, would it get tossed out in court?

[Bassic]

6. Québec tickets are in both languages.

[iverglas]

7. for the genuinely interested

http://canada.justice.gc.ca/en/ps/franc/enviro/toc.html

"Environmental Scan: Access to Justice in Both Official Languages"

Not about traffic tickets per se, but about language rights in the courts in all provinces and territories.

The study itself was methodologically questionable (very small numbers of respondents in many cases, e.g.), but it presents the issues as they're perceived by members of official language minority groups.

There is no constitutional guarantee of the provision of services in both official languages by most provincial governments (or municipalities). However, in this case, the ticket violated the city charter itself, and so was presumably not regarded as a valid ticket.

The Franco-Manitoban community has struggled against heavy odds to survive and develop as a community, and for its members to have opportunities to succeed as individuals without having to abandon their culture. Sometimes the issues are more basic and immediately crucial: the need of francophones to be able to access health care services in their own language, for instance ... and this basic need is the motor behind claims for governance of institutions like hospitals, and access to advanced training in French for francophones who will then be available to serve the francophone community.

Ottawa ... well, the question of whether Ottawa, as a municipality, should be officially bilingual, has been a political hot potato for years, and I don't think the matter is settled yet.

[Bassic]

8. No it is not settled.

It is still a tough battle between the franco-ontarians in Ottawa and a certain group anglophones.

[HEyHEY]

9. Well done! I love the creative ways people beat these things

A prosecutor in B.C. told me if your name is mispelled or something... go to court, but DON'T mention the mistake until the prosecution rests. Because the cop, if he shows, can say, "Oh I made a mistake, this is the man I issued it too," and ammend your ticket right then and there. So after the prosecution rests, you stand up and say, "Also, I'd like to point out I'm 'Smith' with a 'y'"
Then you laugh as you leave the courtroom.