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Canadian Legislature


House Motion No. 451

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
Nov. 22, 2023, 3:15 p.m.
2nd reading of Bill C-316, An Act to amend the Department of Canadian Heritage Act (Court Challenges Program)
  • Bill C-316
  • Latest: Second reading in the House of Commons
  • That the bill be now read a second time and referred to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage.

Bill C-316

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
November 22, 2023
Court Challenges Program Act
  • Bill C-316 is an amendment to the Department of Canadian Heritage Act that ensures the Court Challenges Program is maintained. This program was created in 1978 to help minority language communities assert their language rights. It was later expanded to include human rights as well. Over the years, the program has been cancelled and restored multiple times. This bill recognizes the importance of allowing Canadians to bring significant court cases to clarify and assert constitutional language and human rights. It aims to create an independently administered program that provides financial support to individuals for such cases, holding the government accountable. The bill also requires an annual report on the program's activities to be tabled in Parliament. The Court Challenges Program that has been administered by the University of Ottawa since 2019 is deemed to have been established under this amendment.
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  • Yea (206)
  • Nay (111)
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  • Hear!
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  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
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