Caroline Mulroney says Tories want to improve access to justice for francophones

Thestar.com
November 28, 2018
Jacques Gallant

Ontario Attorney General Caroline Mulroney said Tuesday her government wants to improve access to justice for Franco-Ontarians, while it continues to face backlash for cuts to French services in other sectors.

Mulroney, who is also minister of francophone affairs, was speaking at Osgoode Hall at the launch of “Justice pas-a-pas” (Justice step-by-step), a French-language website spearheaded by the group Community Legal Education Ontario and designed to help Franco-Ontarians navigate the justice system. The Ministry of the Attorney General is listed as partner with the project. (A version of the website already existed in English.)

Ontario Attorney General Caroline Mulroney received a warm reception at Tuesday’s event, which included many francophone legal advocates, while her government continues to face criticism over its cuts to French-language services.

“Our government is determined to improve access to justice in French in Ontario,” Mulroney said in French.

She mentioned having spoken about it to francophone Court of Appeal Justice Paul Rouleau, who was in attendance Tuesday. Mulroney also voiced support for a pilot project launched by the previous Liberal government at the Ottawa courthouse to assist Franco-Ontarians, which includes signage informing them of their language rights in various court proceedings and having staff actively offer services in French.

“We are exploring the possibility of building on the success of this project elsewhere in the province, and I hope we will be able to announce good news soon,” she said.

The Progressive Conservatives continue to face criticism for their decision to cut some French-language services, announced earlier this month, which Mulroney herself has defended as necessary to reduce the deficit.

Meanwhile, Mulroney’s own parliamentary secretary for francophone affairs, eastern Ontario MPP Amanda Simard, has publicly rebuked the government over the cuts and has urged Franco-Ontarians to pressure her government to reverse them.

The government will not be proceeding with plans announced by the Liberals to build a French-language university. It had also announced it would transfer the responsibilities of the French language services commissioner, an independent watchdog who reports to the legislature, to the office of the ombudsman.

But following outcry from the francophone community, the Ford government announced last week it would maintain the position of commissioner, but within the ombudsman’s office, and said the office of francophone affairs would become a ministry, with Mulroney as minister. The premier’s office said it would also be hiring a senior adviser on francophone affairs.

Nonetheless, the government is still being called on to reduce all the cuts, with rallies planned for this weekend. Simard, Mulroney’s parliamentary secretary, also tweeted in French “Resist” to her followers.

The attorney general received an otherwise warm reception at Tuesday’s event, which included many francophone legal advocates as well as Ontario Court Chief Justice Lise Maisonneuve, the first francophone appointed to the position.

Jacques Gallant is a Toronto-based reporter covering legal affairs. Follow him on Twitter: