Language Act, L-6.1

1 LANGUAGE c L-6.1 The Language Act being Chapter L‑6.1 of the Statutes of Saskatchewan, 1988-89 (effective April 26, 1988) as amended by the Statutes of Saskatchewan, 2001, c 9; 2016, c 21; and 2023, c 28. NOTE: This consolidation is not official. Amendments have been incorporated for convenience of reference and the original statutes and regulations should be consulted for all purposes of interpretation and application of the law. In order to preserve the integrity of the original statutes and regulations, errors that may have appeared are reproduced in this consolidation. 2 c L-6.1 LANGUAGE Table of Contents 1 Short title 9 Future regulations 2 Interpretation 10 Versions to have equal authority 3 Validation of certain Acts and matters 11 Courts and tribunals 4 Language of Acts 12 Language in Assembly 5 Existing Acts 13 Certain provision 6 Future Acts and Bills 14 Effect of validation 7 Validity of Enactment 15 Regulations 8 Existing regulations 3 LANGUAGE c L-6.1 CHAPTER L-6.1 An Act respecting the Use of the English and French Languages in Saskatchewan Short title 1 This Act may be cited as The Language Act. Interpretation 2 In this Act: “Act” means an Act or statute of the Legislature of Saskatchewan; («loi») “Assembly” means the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan; («Assemblée») “Ordinance” means an Ordinance of the North‑West Territories that is or was at any time in force in Saskatchewan or that part of the North‑West Territories that formed Saskatchewan; («Ordonnance») “records and journals of the Assembly” includes: (i) the documents of the Assembly entitled “debates and proceedings”, “routine proceedings and orders of the day”, “votes and proceedings” and “journals of the Legislative Assembly”; and (ii) reports, sessional papers and other documents produced by or tabled in the Assembly; but does not include rules and procedures of the Assembly; («archives et comptes rendus») “regulation” includes a regulation, order, bylaw or rule that is: (i) of a legislative nature; and (ii) enacted pursuant to an Act or an Ordinance; but does not include the rules of the courts mentioned in subsection 11(1) or of tribunals; («règlements») “rules and procedures of the Assembly” means the document of the Assembly entitled “rules and procedures of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan”; («règlement de l’Assemblée») “tribunal” means a board, commission, tribunal or other body that: (i) is established pursuant to an Act; and (ii) performs a judicial or quasi‑judicial function; but does not include a court mentioned in subsection 11(1). («autorité administrative») 1988‑89, c L‑6.1, s 2. 4 c L-6.1 LANGUAGE Validation of certain Acts and matters 3(1) All Acts, regulations and Ordinances enacted prior to the coming into force of this Act, whether proclaimed in force or not, are declared valid notwithstanding that they were enacted, printed and published in English only. (2) All: (a) actions, proceedings, transactions or other matters taken, done or arising by or pursuant to an Act, regulation or Ordinance validated pursuant to subsection (1) are declared not to be invalid; (b) rights, obligations, duties, powers and other effects created, limited, revoked or otherwise dealt with by or pursuant to an Act, regulation or Ordinance validated pursuant to subsection (1) are declared not to have been invalidly created, limited, revoked or otherwise dealt with; and (c) matters or things, in addition to those mentioned in clauses (a) and (b), done by, in, in reliance on or pursuant to an Act, regulation or Ordinance validated pursuant to subsection (1) are declared not to have been invalidly done; solely by reason of the fact that the Act, regulation or Ordinance was enacted, printed and published in English only. 1988‑89, c L‑6.1, s 3. Language of Acts 4 All Acts and regulations may be enacted, printed and published in English only or in English and French. 1988‑89, c L‑6.1, s 4. Existing Acts 5 The Lieutenant Governor in Council may by regulation: (a) designate any Act which was enacted, printed and published in English only before the coming into force of this Act as an Act that is to be introduced to the Assembly for enactment, printing and publishing in English and French; (b) prescribe a date by which any Bill to accomplish the purposes of this section is to be introduced to the Assembly. 1988‑89, c L‑6.1, s 5. Future Acts and Bills 6 The Lieutenant Governor in Council may by regulation: (a) designate any Bill which is to be introduced to the Assembly by a member of the Executive Council after the coming into force of this Act as a Bill that is to be introduced to the Assembly for enactment, printing and publishing in English and French; 5 LANGUAGE c L-6.1 (b) designate any Act which is enacted, printed and published in English only after the coming into force of this Act as an Act that is to be introduced to the Assembly for enactment, printing and publishing in English and French; (c) prescribe a date by which any Bill to accomplish the purposes of this section is to be introduced to the Assembly. 1988‑89, c L‑6.1, s 6. Validity of Enactment 7 Notwithstanding section 12 or any other Act or law, where a Bill is introduced to the Assembly for enactment, printing and publishing in English and French: (a) all stages of the enactment shall be recorded in English and French in the document of the Assembly entitled “votes and proceedings”; and (b) if all stages of the enactment are recorded in the manner described in clause (a), the Bill is conclusively deemed to be validly enacted. 1988‑89, c L‑6.1, s 7. Existing regulations 8 The Lieutenant Governor in Council may by regulation: (a) designate regulations which were enacted, printed and published before the coming into force of this Act in English only as regulations that are to be enacted, printed and published in English and French; (b) prescribe a date by which regulations designated pursuant to clause (a) are to be enacted, printed and published in English and French. 1988‑89, c L‑6.1, s 8. Future regulations 9 The Lieutenant Governor in Council may by regulation: (a) designate proposed regulations which are to be enacted, printed and published after the coming into force of this Act as regulations that are to be enacted, printed and published in English and French; (b) designate regulations which are enacted, printed and published in English only after the coming into force of this Act as regulations that are to be enacted, printed and published in English and French; (c) prescribe a date by which regulations designated pursuant to this section are to be enacted, printed and published in English and French. 1988‑89, c L‑6.1, s 9. Versions to have equal authority 10 Where an Act or regulation is enacted, printed and published in English and French, the English version and the French version are equally authoritative. 1988‑89, c L‑6.1, s 10. 6 c L-6.1 LANGUAGE Courts and tribunals 11(1) Any person may use English or French in proceedings before the courts entitled as: (a) the Court of Appeal; (b) the Court of King’s Bench; or (c) the Provincial Court of Saskatchewan. (2) The courts mentioned in subsection (1) may make rules for the purpose of carrying into effect the provisions of this section or for the purpose of providing for any matters not fully or sufficiently provided for in this section or in their rules already in force. (3) Where the courts mentioned in subsection (1) make rules pursuant to subsection (2), those rules shall be printed and published in English and French. (4) The rules of the courts mentioned in subsection (1) and the rules of tribunals are declared valid notwithstanding that they were made, printed and published in English only. (5) The rules of the courts mentioned in subsection (1) shall be printed and published in English and French not later than January 1, 1994. (6) Before the date mentioned in subsection (5), the courts mentioned in subsection (1) may cause to be printed and published their rules, other than rules made pursuant to subsection (2), in English only. (7) Where the rules of a court mentioned in subsection (1) are printed and published in English and French, the English version and the French version are equally authoritative. 1988‑89, c L‑6.1, s 11; 2001, c 9, s 12; 2016, c 21, s 15; 2023, c 28, s 17‑13. Language in Assembly 12(1) Every person may use English or French in the debates of the Assembly. (2) The rules and procedures of the Assembly and records and journals of the Assembly that were made before the coming into force of this section are declared valid notwithstanding that they were made, printed and published in English only. (3) The rules and procedures of the Assembly and records and journals of the Assembly may be made, printed and published in English only. (4) Notwithstanding subsection (3), the Assembly may, by resolution, direct that all or part of the rules and procedures of the Assembly or records and journals of the Assembly shall be made, printed and published in English and French. (5) Where all or any part of the rules and procedures of the Assembly or the records and journals of the Assembly are made, printed and published in English and French, the English version and the French version are equally authoritative. 1988‑89, c L‑6.1, s 12. 7 LANGUAGE c L-6.1 Certain provision 13 Section 110 of The North-West Territories Act, being chapter 50 of the Revised Statutes of Canada, 1886, as it existed on September 1, 1905, does not apply to Saskatchewan with respect to matters within the legislative authority of Saskatchewan. 1988‑89, c L‑6.1, s 13. Effect of validation 14 The declaration of validity of Acts, regulations, Ordinances, rules of court, rules of tribunals and rules and procedures of the Assembly pursuant to this Act does not revive any Act, regulation, Ordinance, rule of court, rule of tribunal or rule and procedure of the Assembly that has been repealed, substituted, superseded or that has otherwise ceased to be in force on or before the day this Act comes into force. 1988‑89, c L‑6.1, s 14. Regulations 15(1) The Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations prescribing any matter or thing that is authorized or required to be prescribed in the regulations. (2) A regulation made pursuant to this Act shall be enacted, printed and published in English and French. 1988‑89, c L‑6.1, s 15. 8 c L-6.1 LANGUAGE REGINA, SASKATCHEWAN Printed by the authority of THE KING’S PRINTER Copyright©2023