The CLTD
Who we are
The Centre for Legal Translation and Documentation (CLTD) is located on the University of Ottawa campus. The CLTD was founded in 1981 by the University of Ottawa and the Association des juristes d’expression française de l’Ontario (AJEFO).
The role of the CLTD is to create the legal documentation needed for practicing law and delivering legal services in French, primarily in Ontario, but also in the other common law provinces and territories. The Department of Justice Canada provides financial aid to the CLTD through the Access to Justice in Both Official Languages Support Fund.
In addition to doing work supported by the Support Fund, the CLTD offers translation and legal writing services to the legal community as a whole on a fee-for- service basis, and also provides documentation services and terminology information free of charge. Through its use of information technology and its highly specialized lawyer-linguists, the CLTD has done important work and produced a long list of publications in the field of common law in French over the years.
Services offered by the CLTD
The CLTD is committed to staying relevant and creative. We are always on the lookout for new opportunities and are completely open to exploring new avenues. We are eager to put our knowledge and our experience to work for new partners or clients.
Please feel free to contact us about any projects we might participate in.
Since the CLTD was established in 1981, the primary focus of our organization has been translation. We translate from English to French and from French to English. The CLTD handles specialized legal texts such as statutes and regulations, contracts, judgments, pleadings, textbooks, simplified legal publications, and moot court rules and documents. However, the CLTD’s translation activities have also extended to cover a wide range of texts that are not primarily legal, such as annual reports, press releases, websites, and more.
The CLTD offers two types of revision services: revising translations to ensure accuracy and conformity with the relevant usages and terminology, and to ensure the quality of the language used; and revising French texts to meet language quality standards.
The CLTD has long been involved in providing training in legal French, which it does through presentations, workshops, courses, and internships. We have also facilitated workshops and given courses for judges and lawyers. We have given presentations and held workshops for organizations whose activities relate to law, and given presentations and courses on legal translation and terminology as part of programs offered at the University of Ottawa.
The CLTD has been helping to develop a body of French terminology for Ontario legislation and the common law since its earliest days. Our achievements in this field can be seen in Ontario legislation, the Lexicon of Ontario Statutes and Regulations, and various Canadian French common law lexicons. Our terminological efforts are currently focused on the standardization of French common law vocabulary in various fields. This work is subsidized by the Department of Justice Canada through PAJLO, and utilizes the skills of the Canadian jurilinguistic centres and the Translation Bureau.
Our team
Philippe Ducharme
Translator-Editor- Phone: 613-562-3660
- Email: [email protected]
Lyne Jolette C.Tr., M.
Translator-Editor- Phone: 613-562-3063
- Email: [email protected]
Gina Paquette
Administrative Assistant / Coordinator- Phone: 613-562-5244
- Email: [email protected]
Vicky Ringuette
Director- Phone: 613-562-4940
- Email: [email protected]
Jenny Fahmy LL.B., C.Tr.
Translator-Editor- Phone: 613-562-3061
- Email: [email protected]
Board of Directors
The CLTD is governed by a board of directors composed of the following members:
Yan Campagnolo, Vice-Dean of the French Common Law Program and Associate Professor; member of the Board of Directors representing the University of Ottawa Common Law Section.
Pierre Thibault, LL. L., Assistant Dean and Secretary of the Faculty of Law, Common Law Section, of the University of Ottawa; member of the Board of Directors representing the University of Ottawa Civil Law Section.
Salah Basalamah, Associate Professor of the Translation and Interpretation School representing the University of Ottawa.
Me Sonia Ouellet, VP CARPS, VP CARSS Interim Executive Director of the University of Ottawa’s Community Legal Clinic; member representing l’Association des juristes d’expression française de l’Ontario (AJEFO).
Edith Pérusse McCallum, LLB, Executive Director of l’Association des juristes d’expression française de l’Ontario (AJEFO).