The Languages Commissioner is an independent officer of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut appointed for a five-year term by the Commissioner of Nunavut on the recommendation of the Legislative Assembly. The duty of the Languages Commissioner is established under section 22 of the Official Languages Act (OLA) and section 28 of the Inuit Language Protection Act (ILPA).
Mandate:
The mandate of the Languages Commissioner is to promote and safeguard the language rights of Nunavummiut enshrined in Nunavut’s language legislation. The role of the Office is to champion three distinct linguistic communities: the Inuit language-speaking community, the French-speaking community and the English-speaking community.
Responsibilities:
The Languages Commissioner has four primary responsibilities:
- Monitor – The Languages Commissioner monitors and examines the progress of territorial institutions, municipalities, private sector organizations, and federal departments, agencies and institutions in meeting their obligations under Nunavut’s language acts.
- Advisor – The Languages Commissioner advises, assists and works with territorial institutions, municipalities, private sector organizations, and federal departments, agencies and institutions on their service and communication obligations. The Office also informs Nunavummiut of their language rights.
- Ombudsman – The Languages Commissioner reviews any possible breach of the language legislation by territorial institutions, municipalities, private sector organizations, and federal departments, agencies and institutions. The Office can investigate, make findings and reports, mediate settlements and suggest ways to recommend corrective actions to address language rights violations.
- Advocate – The Languages Commissioner communicates with obligated bodies to influence decision-making, practices, and policies regarding the respect for language rights.