June 2018– On 19 June 2018, the Canadian Partnership for International Justice (CPIJ) co-researcher François Larocque was awarded the Canadian Francophonie Research Chair in Language Rights at the University of Ottawa. It is “the very first time, at the national level, that a law faculty receives a research chair on the Canadian Francophonie”, Professor Larocque explains. “Up until now, no research chair on linguistic rights and cultural communities’ legal protection existed.”
This award is a well-deserved recognition of the Professor Larocque’s obvious leadership in his field. Dedicated researcher and eloquent lawyer, he has been defending Francophones’ rights for the past 10 years, and has significantly contributed to the advancement of linguistic rights of Francophones living in minority communities in Ontario and in Canada. Professor Larocque will take advantage of his new situation to advance the state of knowledge on linguistic rights and make a tangible contribution to the development of legal norms pertaining to language in Canada. He plans to focus on legal protection of linguistic minority communities and their institutions, particularly in relation to the adoption and interpretation of constitutional laws, legislative material and case-law principles. His research will primarily focus on linguistic rights of Francophones, but will also include Aboriginal languages.
Professor Larocque’s 5-year appointment will begin on July 1st, 2018.
