Do you, or someone you know, need legal help but have difficulties communicating in English? As a multicultural country, Canada is home to people from all over the world. Both French and English are official languages in Canada, and you may use either of these languages when dealing with a federal institution. However, this is not the case for provincial services. Alberta’s only official language is English, but the province is home to speakers from many language backgrounds, including a substantial portion of French speakers.

What statistics tell us
The last Canadian census was conducted in 2021. According to the census, Alberta has the largest population of French speakers of an English province after Ontario. In 2021, 79,965 (1.88%) Albertans indicated French as their first spoken official language, 88,005 (2.06%) reported French as their mother tongue, and 261,435 (6.13%) reported knowledge of French. The number of Albertans with French as the first spoken official language increased by 35.9% from 2001 to 2021. Although many Francophones were born in Alberta, most came from outside. Among Albertans whose first spoken official language is French, some 25% were born in Alberta, 48% come from another province in Canada, and 28% from other parts of the world, mainly Africa.
In addition, one in four Albertans’ mother tongue is other than English or French. English is the most frequent mother language in Alberta (3,083,840), followed by Tagalog (108,395), Punjabi (91,070) and French (64,855).
Access to Justice
Many Albertans whose mother language is other than English are nonetheless fluent in English and can communicate in it proficiently. However, recent immigrants and some people who immigrated at a later stage of life may have difficulties understanding and speaking English. In 2021, 3,105 Albertans reported speaking only French, and 65,705 Albertans declared they do not speak English or French.
The legal system is not easy to navigate even for native English speakers. So where can you go if you need legal help but have difficulty understanding the language?
The Law
A few pieces of legislation address the issue of French and English obligations in Alberta. The Canada Official Languages Act guarantees access to services in both languages at federal institutions. Sections 19 and 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms legislate some obligations regarding the provision of French-language services in Alberta. This includes the right to communicate in French in federal courts, such as the Court of King’s Bench.
Adult and youth charged with criminal offences have a right to have proceedings against them conducted in either official language. This right is assured by sections 530-534 of the Criminal Code, and is also guaranteed by Section 15 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Finally, section 4 of the Alberta Languages Act provides that all oral communications before Alberta’s courts may be in English or in French, at the discretion of the participant.
Finding legal help and information in other languages
A few organizations provide legal information and sessions in languages other than English. You may visit the Centre albertain d’information juridique in Edmonton for in personal help in French, or Diversecities in Calgary for Mandarin, Cantonese and Ukranian. Both offer phone assistance and may be able to help in other languages if available.
The Centre for Public Legal Education (CPLEA) has many of its materials translated into French, including information on Abuse, Family, Wills and Estates, Employment and other. You can browse these materials at https://www.cplea.ca/publications-and-resources/ressources-en-francais/.
In addition, Calgary Legal Guidance offers translation of their website information into a wide variety of languages through a google app.
Finding a Lawyer who speaks your Language
You may be able to find a lawyer who speaks your language. The Law Society’s online Lawyer Directory has the option to search for a lawyer by language.
L’Association des juristes d’expression française de l’Alberta (AJEFA) offers a list of lawyers serving clients in different languages, although their focus is French.
What happens if you have to go to Court?
French speakers
If you are accused of a crime, you have the right to have proceedings against you in French. This means that everyone in the court, including the lawyers, the judge and clerks will speak French. Your documents and the decision will also be prepared in French and there will be no charge to you.
For other matters, you may use French in court for oral communications.
It is important that you indicate the need of communications or trial in French as soon as possible. For more information and to apply, see the information at Court of Justice (https://albertacourts.ca/cj/court-practice-and-schedules/interpreters-french-trials) and Court of King’s Bench (https://albertacourts.ca/kb/about/french-court).
Other Languages
If you are not comfortable in French or English, you will need an interpreter. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees the assistance of interpreters in court for parties and witnesses who need it.
The courts provide and cover the cost of interpreters and translators for criminal and child protection matters. For other matters, the parties may have to hire and pay the interpreters or translators.
LanguageLine is a telephone service that offers interpretation in more than 200 languages, including some Indigenous languages. It is available in most courtrooms on request, as well as at the clerk counter.
Conclusion
Understanding the law and navigating the legal system is never easy, and for those not fluent in English it can become a real barrier. There are services and information available in Alberta for those proficient in languages other than English. Make sure to explore your options to improve your understanding of the issue and the system, and to guarantee a better access to justice.
For further help exploring legal resources, visit Alberta Law Libraries.
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DISCLAIMER The information in this article was correct at time of publishing. The law may have changed since then. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of LawNow or the Centre for Public Legal Education Alberta.