Articles by Verity Stevenson

Academics & Education

Appeal Court upholds Quebec law that bars teachers, police from wearing religious symbols Civil liberties groups argued law discriminates against Muslim women who wear head coverings

February 29, 2024   

(CBC) The Quebec Court of Appeal has upheld the province’s controversial secularism law in a ruling on challenges to the law’s constitutionality released Thursday afternoon. The heavily anticipated judgment is 290 pages long and quashes a previous exception, made by Superior Court […]

Academics & Education

Quebec’s English school boards will have to apply secularism law until court hears challenge EMSB didn't sufficiently prove how applying law would be harmful, Quebec Court of Appeal rules

November 9, 2021   

(CBC) Quebec’s English school boards will have to abide by the province’s secularism law, known as Bill 21, until challenges against and in favour of the law are heard in court. The province’s Court of Appeal has rejected a request by the […]

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‘We will keep on fighting’: Muslim women devastated by Appeal Court decision to uphold Bill 21 Amal Sassi, who came to Quebec to pursue a teaching career, had hoped for a ruling allowing her to continue

December 12, 2019   

(CBC) Amal Sassi was counting on Quebec’s highest court to suspend the province’s controversial secularism law, so she kept her head buried in her books Thursday and focused on studying for her final exams. When she stepped out and heard the news that […]

Academics & Education

‘I feel a kind of rage inside me’: Hijabi teachers in Quebec struggle to find way forward Advocacy group Justice Femme says secularism law is so vague, school boards all apply it differently

September 25, 2019   

(CBC) Fatima Boularhmane isn’t sure where to turn anymore. She and her husband and children emigrated from Morocco about a decade ago, lured by the idea of living in a free and democratic country. Trained as an electrical engineer, Boularhmane tried in vain to get a […]

Academics & Education

CSDM warns prospective teachers about religious symbols, despite saying it wouldn’t apply Bill 21 Commisioner says government threats of putting CSDM under trusteeship unfair

August 22, 2019   

(CBC) Quebec’s largest school board appears to be falling into line when it comes to the province’s new religious symbols law, despite saying earlier this summer it wouldn’t apply the rules until holding further consultations. The Commission scolaire de Montréal (CSDM) began quietly including a notice […]

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Quebec government adopts controversial religious symbols bill Religious symbols law, introduced as Bill 21, passed with a vote of 73-35

June 16, 2019   

(CBC) Quebec’s majority government has pushed through a controversial piece of legislation that will bar public-school teachers, government lawyers, judges and police officers from wearing religious symbols while at work. The bill, introduced by the Coalition Avenir Québec government, passed after a marathon weekend of deliberations […]

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‘We aren’t an elective monarchy’: Opposition MNAs decry Legault’s push to pass immigration, secularism bills MNAs sitting after CAQ government said it would invoke closure to ensure Bills 9 and 21 pass before summer

June 15, 2019 and   

(CBC) Opposition parties are accusing Quebec’s Legault government of trying to run the National Assembly like a business, as they attempt to extend the debate of its two flagship Bills 9 and 21. Members of the National Assembly are sitting this weekend […]

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‘It is our duty to speak up’: Montreal city council passes unanimous declaration against Bill 21 'Bill 21 does not reflect the daily reality of Montreal society which is rich and unique,' declaration says

April 15, 2019   

(CBC) Montreal city councillors have unanimously adopted a declaration against the Quebec government’s secularism bill, put forward by the mayor and leader of the opposition. The bipartisan declaration, signed by Mayor Valérie Plante and Ensemble Montréal interim leader Lionel Perez, presents a […]