Supreme Court to decide whether to hear challenge of Quebec secularism law

The Supreme Court of Canada is set to announce this morning whether it will hear a challenge of Quebec's controversial secularism law, known as Bill 21.

In 2024, the Quebec Court of Appeal upheld the law, which prohibits some public sector workers such as teachers and police officers from wearing religious symbols on the job. Groups including the National Council of Canadian Muslims, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association and the English Montreal School Board have sought leave to appeal that decision to the country's top court.

The Quebec government has long argued the 2019 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.