Cases of the Court: Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique

Live the law.

At this point in the course, take a moment to pause—and step into the lived experience of a Canadian who brought her case to the Supreme Court.

French schools in British Columbia have long faced chronic underfunding and inadequate infrastructure. Marie-Pierre Lavoie and other parents of the Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique took the matters into their own hands and sued the province for failing to provide adequate French-language education.

This documentary traces Marie-Pierre’s journey from a concerned parent to a community leader in one of the most significant education cases in Canadian history. Her story is a powerful reminder that protecting language rights demands solidarity, perseverance, and a deep belief in justice for the next generation.

This documentary vignette is part of a series of short films featured throughout the course, each offering a human perspective on the Canadian justice system and the Supreme Court experience.