Which statement describes the NB Parliament's and NB legislature's language status for statutes and records under sections 18(1) and 18(2)?

• A. The statutes, records and journals shall be printed and published in English and French and both language versions are equally authoritative.
• B. Only English versions are authoritative.
• C. NB statutes must be published in English only.
• D. French versions are authoritative but not English.

Answer: (A)

Language rights in New Brunswick’s legislature treat English and French with equal standing. Sections 18(1) and 18(2) require that statutes, records, and journals of the NB Parliament be printed and published in both official languages, and that neither language version is considered more authoritative than the other. This means the English and French texts carry the same legal force and interpretation can be based on either version. The practical effect is full accessibility for both language communities and a commitment to parity in how laws and official records are produced and used.

That’s why the statement describing bilingual publication and equal authority of both language versions best matches the established framework. The other options would undermine the principle of equal official languages by giving one language priority or limiting publication to a single language.