CAQ

Academics & Education

Quebec opens investigation on another religious incident in a public school 'If these events are confirmed, you can be sure decisions will be made,' says Education Minister Bernard Drainville. 'I'm not going to let this go on without a very firm and determined response.'

October 23, 2024   

(Montreal Gazette) The Quebec government has opened an investigation into another incident of religion reappearing in a public elementary school, with Education Minister Bernard Drainville saying Quebec will not turn a blind eye to the fresh allegations. One day after suspending the […]

Academics & Education

Students at Montreal high school under investigation say teacher made comments that shocked class School service centre says it spoke to teacher following the remarks

October 23, 2024   

(CBC) High school students at one of the four Montreal schools under investigation by Quebec’s Education Ministry for alleged toxic behaviour among staff say their teacher referenced wanting to hit them last week. The students’ account is one of the few specific incidents […]

Academics & Education

A Montreal elementary school is at the centre of a secularism debate. Here’s how we got here Provincial politicians accused of pouncing on religion for political gain

October 22, 2024   

(CBC) In the last few weeks, an elementary school in Montreal’s west-central Côte-des-Neiges neighbourhood has been mired in controversy. This past weekend, 11 teachers were suspended for allegedly creating a toxic environment for students and staff that goes back to 2016. On […]

Academics & Education

Ministry suspends licences of 11 teachers at Bedford school as Legault vows to reinforce secularism rules 'We have a group of teachers who tried to introduce Islamic religious concepts into a Quebec public school, putting aside science as a way of helping students,' the premier said.

October 22, 2024   

(Montreal Gazette) With the Legault government saying the evidence shows Quebec’s secularism law was being flouted, 11 teachers at Montreal’s Bedford elementary school have had their teaching licences suspended by the Education Ministry pending the conclusions of an investigation. And the government […]

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

Muslim groups ask court to quash Quebec’s ‘discriminatory’ school prayer ban The ban violates 'the fundamental rights of minors and adults in terms of their freedom of religion, freedom of conscience, but also individuals' right of association,' the organizations argue.

May 17, 2023   

(Montreal Gazette) Six Muslim groups are asking a Quebec court to declare unconstitutional a new provincial edict that bans religious activity in public schools. In a lawsuit filed this week, the groups asked Quebec Superior Court to “declare constitutionally invalid, inapplicable, inoperative […]

Clothing

Justin Trudeau stands by appointee Amira Elghawaby, says she will continue fight against Islamophobia Quebec government wants federal representative to combat Islamophobia to resign, just days into her new job

January 30, 2023   

(CBC) The Quebec government is calling on the federal government to withdraw its support of Amira Elghawaby, the new representative to combat Islamophobia, only four days after she was first appointed. This comes a day after her attendance at the sixth commemoration […]

Academics & Education

English-language school boards argue Quebec’s secularism law should not apply to them Lawyer for EMSB argues religious diversity is part of cultural DNA of boards

November 9, 2022   

(CBC) English-language school boards argued before the Quebec Court of Appeal Wednesday they should be exempt from Quebec’s secularism law — known as Bill 21 — because religious diversity is part of the cultural heritage of English schools in Quebec. “The examples […]

Academics & Education

Muslim women most affected by Quebec’s secularism law, Court of Appeal hears School board lawyer tells court only Muslim women have lost jobs due to Bill 21

November 8, 2022   

(CBC) As the court challenge of Quebec’s secularism law — commonly known as Bill 21 — continues this week before the Quebec Court of Appeal, groups contesting the law argued Tuesday Bill 21 overwhelmingly discriminates against Muslim women. The Quebec government and several civil […]

Academics & Education

Hearings on constitutionality of Quebec’s secularism law underway in Court of Appeal Opponents of law argue government's use of notwithstanding clause to protect law goes too far

November 7, 2022   

(CBC) Opponents of Quebec’s secularism law — known as Bill 21 — argued before the province’s Court of Appeal Monday that the CAQ government went too far in pre-emptively invoking the constitutional notwithstanding clause in order to protect the law from 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 […]

Academics & Education

Quebec appeals Superior Court’s decision to nix parts of secularism law Justice minister says 'Quebec nation has made the choice of secularism'

June 4, 2021   

(CBC) Quebec’s attorney general filed a notice of appeal Friday regarding the Superior Court decision on April 20, which upheld most, but not all, of the province’s controversial secularism law enacted under the Coalition Avenir Québec government. In that ruling, Justice Marc-André Blanchard […]

Academics & Education

Quebec Superior Court upholds most of religious symbols ban, but English-language schools exempt Government plans to appeal, saying exemption will create a more divided Quebec

April 20, 2021 and   

(CBC) Quebec’s secularism law violates the basic rights of religious minorities in the province, but those violations are permissible because of the Constitution’s notwithstanding clause, a Superior Court judge ruled on Tuesday. But the ruling by Justice Marc-André Blanchard also declared that […]

Academics & Education

Legault government up in arms after EMSB awarded federal funds to fight pair of Quebec laws Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says funding is allocated by program independent of federal government

February 5, 2020   

(CBC) The Quebec government says Ottawa has some explaining to do after it was revealed that the English Montreal School Board is funding two separate legal challenges of provincial laws with federal tax dollars. “We need an explanation from the federal government,” […]

Clothing

‘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 […]

Clothing

Ontario MPPs pass Coteau’s motion affirming religious freedoms in response to Quebec’s Bill 21 Michael Coteau placed motion before Legislature on Thursday afternoon

November 7, 2019   

(CBC) The Ontario Legislature on Thursday passed a motion from Michael Coteau, Liberal MPP for Don Valley East, affirming the province’s support of religious diversity in response to Quebec’s Bill 21. Coteau placed the motion before the province’s elected representatives on Thursday afternoon, asking […]

Academics & Education

English Montreal School Board files legal challenge to Bill 21 Board argues law infringes on minority language education rights and equality of men and women

October 24, 2019   

(CBC) The English Montreal School Board (EMSB) has filed its legal challenge of Quebec’s controversial law that bars teachers and principals from wearing religious symbols. The legal challenge, filed Thursday by the law firm Power Law on behalf of the EMSB and parent commissioners […]

Academics & Education

Quebec’s religious symbols ban causes ‘irreparable harm,’ teachers tell court Civil rights groups file affidavits ahead of appeal set for November

September 25, 2019   

(CBC) Civil rights groups fighting Quebec’s religious symbols law have filed new evidence which, they say, demonstrates without a doubt it has “caused and continues to cause irreparable harm.” Lawyers submitted affidavits last week from Muslim women who were denied employment opportunities or […]

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 […]

Clothing

Majority of Canadians disapprove of Bill 21, but Quebecers are in favour: poll A Forum Research survey of 1,733 people conducted from July 26-28 concludes 59 per [cent] of Canadian voters disapprove of the law

August 6, 2019   

(Montreal Gazette) A new poll shows a majority of Canadians living outside Quebec do not approve of the province’s religious symbols law. But as other polls have revealed in the past, those living in Quebec say they strongly approve of Bill 21 […]

Clothing

Civil rights groups seek appeal of judge’s refusal to freeze parts of Quebec’s religious symbols law Civil Liberties Association, National Council of Muslims sought injunction hours after law passed in June

July 23, 2019   

(CBC) Two civil rights groups are seeking an appeal after a Quebec Superior Court justice refused their emergency request to temporarily freeze parts of the province’s new religious symbols law. The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) and the Canadian Civil Liberties […]

Clothing

Quebec’s religious symbols law passes 1st legal test as judge refuses injunction Civil Liberties Association, National Council of Muslims sought injunction hours after law passed in June

July 18, 2019   

(CBC) A Quebec Superior Court justice has rejected a request to temporarily suspend parts of the province’s new religious symbols law, though he did agree it raises “serious” constitutional questions. Justice Michel Yergeau said Thursday the court must defer, at this stage, […]

Clothing

As fight over Quebec’s religious symbols law shifts to courts, legal experts debate best way to challenge it Bill 21 invokes notwithstanding clause, complicating how opponents can challenge law's constitutionality

July 8, 2019   

(CBC) Quebec’s religious symbols law was not yet 12 hours old when it became the subject of a Superior Court motion seeking to have it struck down. On Tuesday, the motion, filed last month by the National Council of Canadian Muslims and […]

Clothing

To minorities worried about religious symbols law, Quebec premier says he ‘could have gone further’ New law responds to desires of long-spurned majority, François Legault says in interview

June 18, 2019   

(CBC) Quebec Premier François Legault had a blunt message Tuesday for minorities worried about his government’s new religious symbols law: the legislation, he said, “could have gone further.” The law, which was passed late Sunday, bars civil servants in positions of authority — including public school teachers, […]

Clothing

Fears of ‘secularism police’ raised by CAQ’s last-minute changes to religious symbols bill 'It was never discussed, it's unacceptable,' Liberal MNA says of amendments

June 17, 2019   

(CBC) Quebec’s opposition is warning last-minute changes to the Coalition Avenir Québec’s religious symbols law open the door to the establishment of “secularism police.” In the final hours before Bill 21 was passed late Sunday, the CAQ introduced several amendments, including provisions to ensure the […]

Clothing

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 […]

Clothing

‘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 […]

Clothing

François Legault defends decision to quash debate over immigration, religious symbols bills Despite widespread criticism, Quebec premier says it's time to 'turn the page'

June 14, 2019   

(CBC) Quebec Premier François Legault says there’s a risk of upsetting “social cohesion” in the province if the debate over religious symbols is allowed to linger any longer. Legault will invoke closure to pass his government’s controversial secularism and immigration bills, putting an end […]

Clothing

Quebec government to sit through weekend to ram through immigration, religious symbols bills Premier Legault will invoke closure to ensure its flagship legislation, Bills 9 and 21, pass before summer

June 13, 2019   

(CBC) The Coalition Avenir Québec government will invoke closure this weekend to force passage of two controversial pieces of legislation — one that reforms the province’s immigration system and another that bars civil servants in positions of authority from wearing religious symbols. The centre-right party […]