Allan Singer v. Canada
26 July 1994
(Communication No. 455/1991)
Subject:
Article 26 - discrimination on the ground of language:
The Charter of the French Language (Bill No. 101) restricted the use of English for commercial purposes; in particular, section 58 of Bill No. 101 prohibited the posting of commercial signs in English outside the author's store in Quebec.
Conclusion:
Violation of Article 19 (2): According to the Human Rights Committee, a State party to the Covenant may choose one or more official languages, but that may not exclude, outside the spheres of public life, the freedom to express oneself in a language of one's choice; in the light of this finding, the Committee did not address any issues under Article 26.
(Paragraphs 12.1, 12.2, 13)