December 18, 2023
McGill, Concordia can take Quebec to court over tuition hikes, French requirements, lawyers say
“Discrimination on the basis of language is discrimination,” says constitutional lawyer Julius Grey. He cites Section 15 of the federal Charter of Rights and Freedoms as well as Section 10 of the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms. Recent Quebec legislation is grounded in “identity politics,” says Sylvia Martin-Laforge, director general of the Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN), adding that as the public discussion develops she evaluates the government’s reasoning process as ever more “troubling.” Simultaneously, Martin-Laforge says, Quebec is inflicting two black eyes on itself — one by harming Montreal’s reputation as a welcoming, inclusive university city, and the other by creating a potential impact on the economy.