Quebecs Bill 21: Canadian Supreme Court will hear challenge over secularism law [Video]

The Supreme Court of Canada will go ahead and hear a challenge to Quebec’s controversial secularism law.

Known as Bill 21, the legislation prohibits public sector workers such as teachers from wearing religious symbols while on the job.

In 2024, the Quebec Court of Appeal upheld the law that was brought to the country’s top court by groups like the National Council of Canadian Muslims, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association and the English Montreal School Board.

Bill 21 was passed in 2019 during the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government’s first mandate.

The provincial government pre-emptively invoked the notwithstanding clause of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to protect the legislation from court challenges over violations of fundamental rights.

–With files from The Canadian Press