Darius Bossé
Partner
Originally from New Brunswick, Darius now lives in Ottawa where his passion for public law and politics has flourished. Darius focuses his practice on constitutional law, administrative law, and parliamentary and government affairs.
Complementing his focused public law practice, Darius has gained extensive experience working on civil litigation matters more broadly, including on appellate and judicial review matters. He has represented his clients’ interests before the Supreme Court of Canada, the Federal Court and Federal Court of Appeal, the New Brunswick Court of Appeal, and the Ontario Superior Court.
With experience at the crossroads of law and policy, he guides his clients through legislative and policy development processes, including by proposing legislative amendments and preparing clients for appearances before parliamentary committees. He also has experience interpreting, negotiating, and implementing intergovernmental agreements.
Darius began his legal career clerking for Justice Henry S. Brown of the Federal Court and Justice Suzanne Côté of the Supreme Court of Canada. As an articling student and then associate at Power Law, Darius worked on the largest and most complex education rights trial since the adoption of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Darius’ work experience before and during law school greatly informs his practice. For example, while studying law, Darius worked as a Parliamentary Assistant to a member of the House of Commons, and interned at the Office of the Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel for the Senate of Canada.
Darius is the author of several academic articles that explore a variety of issues in the areas of constitutional law, administrative law, minority law, statutory interpretation law, and human rights.
Darius practices in English and French.
“Section 55 and the Obligation to Enact an Officially Bilingual Constitution” (2024) 28:1 Review of Constitutional Studies 1 (with François J. Larocque)
“Le postsecondaire en français hors Québec : cobaye de la nouvelle Loi sur les langues officielles ?”, Le Droit (February, 15 2024) (with Mark Power)
“Ce qui mérite d’être fait mérite d’être bien fait”, Le Devoir (November, 22 2022) (with François Larocque and Mark Power)
“Une injustice vieille de 40 ans”, Le Devoir (February, 7 2020) (with Sheila Risbud and Mark Power)
“A call for coherence on official language”, The Hill Times (March 27, 2019) (with Jennifer Klinck, Mark Power, Padminee Chundunsing and Perri Ravon)
“No, it’s not ‘ok’”, La Presse (March 11, 2019) (with Mark Power and Perri Ravon)
“Pierre De Bané 1938-2019 : la clairvoyance en matière de langues officielles”, La Presse (January 19, 2019) (with Mark Power and Perri Ravon)
“Time for action on Indigenous language protection”, Winnipeg Free Press (September 25, 2018) (with Madelaine Mackenzieand Mélanie Power)
“Loi sur les langues officielles : rien de plus qu’un épouvantail”, La Presse (June 6, 2018) (with Mark Power)
“L’Obligation de faire adopter la version française des textes constitutionnels canadiens” in Linda Cardinal et François Larocque, ed, La Constitution bilingue du Canada : un projet inachevé (Québec: Presses de l’Université Laval, 2017) 87 (with François J. Larocque)
“Acadianité et droits de la personne : autodétermination identitaire, membriété et droit des minorités nationales” (2016) 5:1 Canadian Journal of Human Rights 27 (with Mark C. Power)
“A Review of From Treaty Peoples to Treaty Nation” (2016) 79:1 Saskatchewan Law Review 113
“La « communauté linguistique française » du Nouveau-Brunswick dans l’article 16.1 de la Charte canadienne des droits et libertés. Entre politiques de reconnaissance et reconnaissance politique d’une communauté linguistique au Canada” (2014) 37 Francophonies d’Amérique 39 (with Christophe Traisnel)
“Une tentative de clarification de la présomption de respect des valeurs de la Charte canadienne des droits et libertés” (2014) 55 Les Cahiers de droit 775 (with Mark C. Power)
“Le droit, un rempart à la fragilité minoritaire?” (2013) 4:1 La Relève: Le journal des étudiants de la francophonie canadienne 6 (with Stéphanie Chouinard)
“Un entretien avec l’honorable sénateur Serge Joyal” (2012-2013) 44:3 Ottawa Law Review 595 (with Stéphane Sérafin, Anna Oroianu and Philippe Gollin)
“Le statut du français au sein de l’appareil judiciaire ontarien : une révolution tranquille inachevée” (2012-2013) 44:1 Ottawa Law Review 161 (with Mathieu Demilly)
“Le statut du français au sein de la profession juridique en Ontario : Réflexions sur le droit d’exiger une audience devant des membres de panel d’audition qui s’expriment en français au Comité d’audition du Barreau du Haut-Canada” (2012-2013) 44:1 Ottawa Law Review 77 (with Pierre Champagne and Mark C. Power)
“Constitutional Litigation, the Adversarial System and some of its Adverse Effects” (2012) 17:2 Review of Constitutional Studies 1 (with Mark C Power and François J. Larocque)
“Colloque sur le statut du français dans la réglementation de la profession juridique”, La Clef – Bulletin de la Conférence des juristes d’expression française de common law, Canadian Bar Association (July 2012) (with Mathieu Demilly)
“Un entretien avec le professeur émérite Joseph E. Roach” (2011-2012) 43:2 Ottawa Law Review 323 (with Nicholas Malone, Dana Antakly and Ariane Courtemanche)
Book review: “Recension – A Great and Noble Scheme: The Tragic Story of the Expulsion of the French Acadians from Their American Homeland by John Mack Faragher” (2011) 12 Revue de la common law en français 315
“La répartition géographique des dépenses de capital du Gouvernement du Nouveau-Brunswick, 1994-2008” (November 2009), online: cneb.com <http://www.cenb.com/document/ch/2010-02-19.pdf> (with André Leclerc and David Roy)
Standing Senate Committee on Official Languages (OLLO), “The subject matter of Bill C-13, An Act to amend the Official Languages Act, to enact the Use of French in Federally Regulated Private Businesses Act and to make related amendments to other Acts”, October 24, 2022
Standing Senate Committee on Banking (BANC), Commerce and the Economy, “Bill S-215, An Act respecting measures in relation to the financial stability of post-secondary institutions”, October 4, 2022
Standing Committee on Official Languages – House of Commons (LANG), “Government Measures to Protect and Promote French in Quebec and in Canada”, February 14, 2022
Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage – House of Commons (CHPC), “Subject Matter of Bill C-10, An Act to amend the Broadcasting Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts”, February 1, 2021 (for the Quebec English-language Production Council)
Standing Committee on Official Languages – House of Commons (LANG), “Modernization of the Official Languages Act”, November 20, 2018
“Strengthening the Indigenous Languages Act: Lessons Learned from Canada’s Official Languages Act Saga”, Conference presentation during the Aboriginal Law Conference 2024 organized by the Continuing Legal Education Society of British Columbia , November 22, 2024 (with the Honourable Senator Michèle Audette)
“Droits linguistiques”, Panel during the 43th Annual Conference organized by the AJEFO, June 9 2023 (with Pascale Giguère, François Larocque et Michel Francoeur)
“Section 55”, Panel during the Legacies of Patriation Conference organized by the Centre for Constitutional Studies, April 22, 2022 (with Francois Larocque)
“Provincial and Territorial Language Regimes in Prosecutions”, National Virtual Conference on Language Rights in Prosecutions , Department of Justice of Canada and the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, September 28, 2021
“L’article 23 de la Charte et le post-secondaire”, AJEFNB, April 7, 2021
“Le bilinguisme officiel et la charge vice-royale au Canada: SANB c Trudeau et Payette“, Le bilinguisme officiel et la charge vice-royale au Canada, uOttawa Public Law Centre and the Research Chair, Language Rights and Issues at the University of Ottawa, March 25, 2021
“Révision judiciaire : nomination de la lieutenante-gouverneure du N.-B.”, AJEFNB, March 24, 2021
“What are the constitutional issues facing official language minority communities?”, Realities of Jurilinguistics in Canada, 14th Institute of Jurilinguistics, March 19, 2021
“L’adoption des documents constitutionnels en français”, AJEFNB, November 4, 2020
“Droits linguistiques”, Panel organized by the Association des juristes d’expression française de l’Ontario for their 40th annual congress, June 21, 2019 (with Ronald Caza and Michel Francoeur)
“Scandale ! La partie VII de la Loi sur les langues officielles freine l’épanouissement et le développement du statut du français au Canada : Diagnostic et proposition de réforme”, 2019 Human Sciences Congress : “Le 50e anniversaire de la Loi sur les langues officielles”, Workshop organized by the Canadian Political Science Association, presented at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, June 4, 2019 (with Mark Power)
“Évolution législative et judiciaire de la Loi sur les langues officielles”, Workshop organized by the federal government for the Symposium for the 50th anniversary of the Official Languages Act in Ottawa, May 27, 2019 (with Warren Newman, Mark Power, Perri Ravon and Hubert Lussier)
“La modernisation de la Loi sur les langues officielles : quels impacts concrètement”, organized by the Assemblée communautaire fransaskoise in Regina, April 12-13, 2019
“Les limites de la fierté : L’Acadie devrait-elle réinventer son mouvement politique ?”, Round table organized by the Société de l’Acadie du Nouveau-Brunswick in Caraquet, June 16, 2018 (with Joseph Yvon Thériault and Richard Saillant)
“Moderniser la Loi sur les langues officielle : n’oublions pas la petite enfance et l’éducation”, Conference commandited and presented at the Annual General Assembly of the Fédération des conseils d’éducation du Nouveau-Brunswick in Tracadie, May 26, 2018
“L’obligation de faire adopter la version française des textes constitutionnels canadiens”, 6th Annual Meeting of the Language Rights Supports Program: The progression towards equality of status and use of French and English in Canada, organised by the Language Rights Support Program (LRSP), University of Ottawa, November 23, 2015 (with François J. Larocque)
“Francophonie canadienne : Quand le public dépasse les frontières du droit”, Symposium : La francophonie canadienne comme public : penser ses espaces, ses politiques et ses problèmes, organised by the Centre de recherche en civilisation canadienne-française (CRCCF), University of Ottawa, November 12, 2015
“Quelles sont les valeurs de la Charte canadienne des droits et libertés?”, 83e Congrès de l’Association francophone pour le savoir (Acfas), Université du Québec à Rimouski, May 2015
“Les nouvelles théories de la liberté et le droit des minorités”, 82e Congrès de l’Association francophone pour le savoir (Acfas), Concordia University, May 14, 2014
“Pour une posture néo-républicaine en francophonie canadienne”, Colloque : Francophonie canadienne et pouvoir, organisé par le Centre de recherche en civilisation canadienne-française (CRCCF), University of Ottawa, November 8, 2013
“L’affaire Caron et l’importance de la preuve historique et sociologique en droit constitutionnel”, 81e Congrès de l’Association francophone pour le savoir (Acfas), Université Laval, May 6, 2013
“Le principe d’interprétation fondé sur les valeurs de la Charte : examen de la jurisprudence canadienne et constat d’irrégularités”, Célébration des contributions de la Justice Louise Charron, University of Ottawa, March 23, 2013 (with Mark C. Power)
“L’article 16.1 et le modèle canadien de protection des minorités linguistiques : contrainte ou opportunité politique ? ”, Journée de réflexion « Égalité et autonomie : le passé, le présent et l’avenir de l’article 16.1 », organised by the International Observatory on Language Rights, Law Faculty of the University of Moncton, March 16, 2013 (with Christophe Traisnel)
Franck Yvan Tayo Tompouba v His Majesty the King (Supreme Court of Canada: 40332) (right to be informed of one’s right to undergo a criminal trial in French)
Commission scolaire francophone des Territoires du Nord-Ouest v Northwest Territories (Education, Culture and Employment), 2023 SCC 31 (discretionary administrative decisions engaging Charter protections, Charter values, whether Minister had to consider purpose of minority language educational rights guaranteed by Charter in exercising her discretion)
Drover v Canada (Attorney General), 2023 ONSC 5529 (constitutionality of the Canada Elections Act residency requirements under section 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms)
Association canadienne-française de l’Alberta v Her Majesty The Queen et al, 2022 ABKB 618 (motion to strike, section 23 of the Charter and postsecondary education, underlying constitutional principle of the protection of minority rights)
Darius Bossé v Public Health Agency of Canada et al (Federal Court: T-1348-22) (part IV of the Official Languages Act, ArriveCan Application)
Ashley Suzanne Barendregt v Geoff Bradley Grebliunas, 2022 SCC 22 (How should the Palmer test to admit fresh or new evidence be applied in the “slightly relaxed” conditions of custody cases? Whether a different test should be applied to applications involving “fresh” evidence as opposed to “new” evidence?)
The Acadian Society of New Brunswick v The Right Honourable Prime Minister of Canada et al, 2022 NBQB 85 (challenge to the appointment of a Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick who is unable to speak and understand clearly both official languages)
Fédération des francophones de la Colombie-Britannique et al v Canada (Employment and Social Development) et al, 2022 FCA 14 (parts IV and VII of the Official Languages Act, Federal-Provincial/Territorial Agreements, linguistic clauses, employment assistance services)
Patrick Marleau v Department of Justice (T-1362-20) (part VII of the Official Languages Act, enactment of the French version of portions of the Constitution of Canada)
Association canadienne-française de l’Alberta et al v Minister of Advanced Education (Alberta) and the Governors of the University of Alberta (Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta : 2003 – 12720) (challenge to the chronic underfunding of the Campus Saint-Jean)
The Honourable Serge Joyal et al v Attorney General of Canada et al (Superior Court of Québec : 500-17-109358195) (section 55 of the Constitution Act, 1982, enactment of the French version of portions of the Constitution of Canada)
Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique, Fédération des parents francophones de Colombie-Britannique et al v British Columbia et al, 2020 SCC 13 (Charter right to official language education – existence, nature and quality of schools across the province, scope of permissible section 1 justifications, Charter damages)
Bessette v British Columbia (Attorney General), 2019 SCC 31 (language of trial, judicial review in criminal matters, statutory interpretation)
Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique v Departement Public Works and Government Services Canada (Federal Court: T-1489-18) (part VII of the Official Languages Act, sections 16 and 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, disposition of real property by federal institutions)
Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique v Department of National Defence (Federal Court: T-1319-18) (part VII of the Official Languages Act, sections 16 and 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, disposition of real property by federal institutions)
Conseil de l’Université de Moncton, Member residing outside the Atlantic provinces (2020-2023, 2023-2026) (Joint Planning Committee, Governance Committee, Major Disciplinary Appeal Committee)
Executive French Speaking Common Law Members of the Canadian Bar Association, Honourary Member-at-Large (2022-2024), Chair (2021-2022), Chair (2020-2021), Secretary (2019-2020), Member (2018-2019)
Canadian Bar Association, Member (2017-2023)
Association des juristes d’expression française de l’Ontario, Member (2017-2023)
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