How can research help improve access to justice for Canada’s official language minority communities? For researchers at McGill’s School of Continuing Studies, a recent meeting in Ottawa offered an opportunity to bring their findings into direct conversation with government officials, justice professionals and community representatives.
Justice Canada invited Marie-Hélène Girard, Associate Professor and Director of the Research and Information Hub One Justice, One Access (1J1A), Marc Pomerleau, Associate Researcher, and Etienne Lehoux-Jobin, Research Assistant, to participate in the first joint meeting of its Advisory Committee on Access to Justice in Both Official Languages and the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Working Group on Access to Justice in Both Official Languages. The meeting took place at the Ottawa Art Gallery on October 27, 2026.
Under the theme “Towards Better Access to Justice in Both Official Languages in Canada: Innovation and Collaboration,” participants examined shared challenges and explored ways to support both justice systems and the communities they serve. The joint format brought together complementary perspectives: associations of French-speaking jurists, organizations representing official language minority communities, members of the legal and academic sectors, and federal, provincial and territorial representatives.
Bringing research findings to the discussion
Girard and Pomerleau presented highlights from the newly published report Capacity of the Canadian Justice System to Provide Services in the Minority Official Language. Researchers at 1J1A prepared the report to examine access to justice in French outside Quebec and in English in Quebec, building on a study published in 2002 for Justice Canada.
The team drew on questionnaires completed by community organizations and governments, as well as on a survey of justice sector professionals. The report documents progress since 2002, while showing that improvements vary across provinces, territories and areas of law. It identifies gains in criminal law and in divorce and support matters, alongside persistent barriers such as shortages of bilingual personnel, regional disparities and limited awareness of language rights.
These findings contributed to the day’s broader examination of access to justice. Presentations and discussions brought research into conversation with perspectives from federal, provincial and territorial governments and organizations working with official language minority communities.
Exploring solutions together
During two afternoon working sessions, participants met in small groups and then shared their observations in plenary discussions. They considered practical approaches and how different stakeholders could contribute.
Discussions focused on the recruitment, training and retention of bilingual justice personnel, linguistic insecurity, and access to legal services in both official languages. Participants also explored ways to support official language minority communities by improving access to legal information, increasing awareness of language rights, and developing research that responds to their needs.
“This meeting gave us an opportunity to discuss our findings with people who deliver legal services and represent official language minority communities. These exchanges help us understand how our research can support their work and which questions remain to be explored,” explains Marie-Hélène Girard.
For the 1J1A team, the meeting provided an opportunity to share research with those who can use it and to learn about the priorities of the communities concerned. The meeting also highlighted how applied and engaged research contributes to dialogue on policy and practice. By participating in these exchanges, researchers at the School of Continuing Studies can both inform discussions about which solutions to prioritize and identify questions that warrant further investigation.
Read the report in English or French:
About the author
Etienne Lehoux-Jobin works as a research assistant at the Research and Information Hub One Justice, One Access (1J1A), led by Marie-Hélène Girard. The team’s work includes research on law and access to justice in both official languages in Canada. A translator from Japanese and English into French, he holds a master’s degree in translation from Université Laval and a PhD in Translation Studies from Université de Montréal.
