Ottawa files notice to intervene in Supreme Court hearing on secularism bill
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Monthly Digital Subscription
$1 per week for 24 weeks*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Billed as $4.00 plus GST every four weeks. After 24 weeks, price increases to the regular rate of $19.95 plus GST every four weeks. Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.
Monthly Digital Subscription
$4.99/week*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Billed as $19.95 plus GST every four weeks. Cancel any time.
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Free Press access to your Brandon Sun subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
*Your next subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $16.99 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $23.99 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 04/03/2025 (388 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
OTTAWA – The federal government has officially filed a notice to intervene in the Supreme Court of Canada’s hearing on Quebec’s secularism law.
The top court announced in January it had granted leave to appeal to several groups that oppose the law, though no date has been set for the hearing.
Bill 21 was passed in 2019 and prohibits civil servants in positions of authority, including teachers and police officers, from wearing religious symbols on the job.
The justice department says the federal government is committed to upholding the rights of all Canadians, including freedom of religion.
Quebec Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette says the federal government’s decision is an attack on Quebec’s autonomy, and is vowing to defend the law.
Quebec invoked the notwithstanding clause of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to shield Bill 21 from constitutional challenges, and lower courts have largely upheld the law.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 4, 2025.