Since 2018, the Chair has been a sterling example of research innovation, pursuing knowledge mobilization activities aimed at community members, litigants and young people. One example is the free mobile application Planctus, launched in 2020, which allows users, in just a few clicks, to learn about their language rights. Planctus informs users about legal regimes that govern language rights, and allows users to quickly access complaint forms from various language commissioners and other competent authorities, facilitating citizen involvement in the defense and assertion of language rights. Since it’s launch, it has facilitated over 1,860 language rights interventions.
With his new five-year mandate, Professor Larocque will continue to study the legal frameworks of language rights while proposing ways to improve their development and implementation. In addition to expanding the scope and functionality of Planctus, he will also aim to launch a language rights legal clinic at the University of Ottawa and publish the fourth edition of the authoritative book Les droits linguistiques au Canada (Éditions Yvon Blais), with the Honourable Michel Bastarache, former Judge of the Supreme Court of Canada.
The University of Ottawa established the Research Chairs in Canadian Francophonie to help lay the foundation for a strong network of researchers with shared interests in Canada’s French-speaking communities. Professor Larocque has defended the rights of Francophones for more than a decade, serving as a strong advocate for the advancement of the language rights of Francophones living in minority situations in both Ontario and in Canada as a whole.
Congratulations to Professor Larocque on this important achievement! The Common Law Section is exceptionally proud to host one of the University’s leaders in Canadian Francophonie.
Click here to read about other research chairs recently awarded by the University of Ottawa.