OTTAWA — The Supreme Court of Canada is set to rule Friday on whether Alberta is required by the Constitution to enact its laws in both English and French.
The court will weigh in on the cases of two Alberta men charged with offences under the province's Traffic Safety Act, which was passed only in English.
The legal arguments put forward by both sides are grounded in historical context.
The appellants, who were originally acquitted by a provincial court judge, have fought their cases on the grounds they have a constitutional right to legislative bilingualism -- laws enacted in both languages.
Alberta argues there is no such constitutional requirement for the province.
The Alberta Court of Appeal's 2014 decision in the case, which the motorists are challenging, found the province was not required to have bilingual laws because there is no constitutional document entrenching language rights.