French-Only Law in Quebec Overturned
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OTTAWA — Canada’s highest court Thursday unanimously struck down a Quebec law requiring commercial signs to be in French only, a decision that could rekindle the country’s long-running language feud.
The predominantly French-speaking province can still order the use of French in signs, but not by banning other languages.
The five Supreme Court of Canada justices said the 11-year-old law violated freedom of speech guarantees under a provincial charter.
The long-awaited decision is expected to spark angry debate. There was strong support for the law designed to protect Quebec’s French heritage.
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