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The Court of Quebec has rejected a bid to overturn Quebec’s sign law by a group of merchants prosecuted under Bill 101.

Judge Salvatore Mascia said Wednesday it is true that Quebec has a more French “face” than it did a quarter-century ago, but that is thanks to the very law the merchants wanted struck down.

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The charter of the French language should not be made “a victim of its own success,” Mascia said.

He was rendering judgment in the cases of 24 businesses prosecuted between 1998 and 2001 under the language charter, which requires French to be markedly predominant on signs.

The case was heard in May, when charges against another 53 defendants were dropped.

Defense lawyer and longtime language activist Brent Tyler said he plans to appeal.

“His is not the final word,” Tyler said.

“I told my clients from the outset that they shouldn’t embark on this unless they view it like a baseball game. There are four bases. We’re just passing first base now. There’s second base, there’s third base and there’s home plate, which is the Supreme Court of Canada.”