By Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press, November 8, 2024.

A man walks in front of the Supreme Court of Canada on Friday June 16, 2023 in Ottawa. The Clerk of the Supreme Court of Canada says that from now on, only judgments written in English and French will appear on the Court’s website. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

OTTAWA – The clerk of the Supreme Court of Canada says that from now on, only judgments written in English and French will appear on the Court’s website.

The clerk’s statement is the latest development in a controversy over access to the highest court’s historic decisions in both official languages.

Between 1877 and 1970, the court issued approximately 6,000 decisions that were not translated.

It is said that some were in French, others in English and others in both languages.

Since 2019, the registrar had made all judgments in the court’s history accessible via his website.

Judgments prior to 1970 have been removed from the Supreme Court website and the Registrar says those wishing to access them can search other open databases online.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published November 8, 2024.

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