Supreme Court agrees to hear appeal of Quebec’s secularism law

By Canadian Press on January 23, 2025.

OTTAWA — The Supreme Court of Canada has agreed to hear a challenge of Quebec’s secularism law, known as Bill 21.

The 2019 law prohibits civil servants in positions of authority, including teachers and police officers, from wearing religious symbols on the job.

Last year, the Quebec Court of Appeal upheld the law.

Groups including the National Council of Canadian Muslims, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association and the English Montreal School Board sought leave to appeal that decision to the country’s top court.

The Quebec government has long argued the law is reasonable, and the province’s justice minister has said he intends to vigorously defend it against all challenges.

Bill 21 pre-emptively invoked the notwithstanding clause of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to shield the legislation from court challenges over violations of fundamental rights.

The federal Liberal government has said it would intervene before the Supreme Court in support of a challenge of Bill 21, while the Conservatives have not said what they would do.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 23, 2025.

The Canadian Press