Certificate Course in Language Rights - University of Colombo

The Centre for Policy Research and Analysis, University of Colombo, (CEPRA) in association with the Governance and Institution Support Programme of the University of Ottawa, Canada, will conduct an intensive certificate course in Language Rights from 4 June to 13 June 2003 at the Faculty of Law Complex, University of Colombo. Lectures will be held on weekdays in the evenings from 5-7 p.m. and on the Saturday morning from 9 a.m. to 12 .30 p.m.

The main resource person for the course will be Professor Marc Cousineau, of the Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa, Canada. Professor Cousineau teaches courses on Language Rights in Canada and has wide experience in litigation on language rights and political advocacy with respect to linguistic minorities. The Bilingual Policy of Canada, landmark constitutional cases on language rights in Canada and other jurisdictions will be critically evaluated.

A panel of resource persons from the Faculties of Law and Arts of the University of Colombo will co-teach a small component of the course which will deal with the Sri Lankan and the international law perspectives on the subject.

The course will be of particular relevance to members of the legal community (lawyers, academics and judges), public servants and persons interested in human rights and conflict resolution. Persons in the Official Languages Department, Police Department, and officials dealing with education, public administration, are particularly encouraged to apply. A reading pack of resource materials will be available to participants.