Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for funding from the Court Challenges Program (CCP), you must meet all of the following criteria:

Official Languages Rights Branch

You are a person or group whose official language rights may have been violated – OR – you are a non-profit organization representing a person or group whose official language rights may have been violated.
You need financial support from the CCP to be able to pursue your case.
Your application relates to one of the Official Language Rights covered by the CCP.
If your application relates to a provision of the Official Languages Act, you must first have filed a complaint with the Commissioner of Official Languages and be able to confirm that the Commissioner is not appearing before the courts on your behalf.
Your application is a test case that has the potential to affirm and clarify one of the official language rights covered by the CCP.
Your case is of national importance.
If you are applying for funding for an intervention, you must also demonstrate how the intervention raises important arguments that are not expected to be substantially addressed by one of the main parties or by another intervenor.

The CCP cannot fund:

A for-profit organization.
Complaints or challenges made solely against provincial or territorial laws, policies or practices other than those covered by the CCP.
A case dealing with an issue already funded by the CCP, the former Court Challenges Program of Canada or the former Language Rights Support Program (LRSP).
Public education, community development, promotional activities, lobbying, or political advocacy.

Human Rights Branch

You are a person or group whose Charter-protected human rights may have been violated – OR – you are a non-profit organization representing a person or group whose Charter-protected human rights may have been violated.
You need financial support from the CCP to be able to pursue your case.
Your application relates to one of the Charter-protected human rights covered by the CCP.
Your application is a test case that has the potential to affirm and clarify one of the official language rights covered by the CCP.
Your case is of national importance.
Your case challenges a federal law, policy or practice.
If you are applying for funding for an intervention, you must also demonstrate how the intervention raises important arguments that are not expected to be substantially addressed by one of the main parties or by another intervenor.

The CCP cannot fund:

A for-profit organization.
Complaints or challenges made solely against provincial or territorial laws, policies or practices.
Complaints or challenges solely under provincial or territorial human rights codes or laws.
A case dealing with an issue already funded by the CCP, the former Court Challenges Program of Canada or the former Language Rights Support Program (LRSP).
Public education, community development, promotional activities, lobbying, or political advocacy.

Please note that an application’s eligibility for CCP funding does not guarantee that the application will be selected for funding. The Expert Panels exercise discretion in making their funding decisions, which are made in accordance with their Terms of Reference and the objectives of the Program, and in consideration of other applications received.

If you have read the eligibility criteria and believe you are eligible for CCP funding, you may submit an application to the Court Challenges Program.