Sikhs are Disappointed in the Ruling on Quebec’s Bill 21

Ryan Remiorz / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILE PHOTO

Originally passed in June 2019, Bill 21 prohibited many public sector employees from wearing visible articles of faith at work.  It was widely criticized as a violation of religious freedom as it would ban teachers, state prosecutors, and any other public sector employee in a position of authority from wearing, for example, a Muslim hijab, a Sikh turban, or Jewish yarmulke.  Quebec’s Superior court ruling will allow teachers to continue to wear their visible articles of faith, but judges, police officers, and public servants cannot.  
Because of the way Bill 21 was written, it prohibited challenges based on specific provisions of Quebec’s charter that governed free speech, religious freedom, and gender equality.  As a result, Bill 21 was permissible despite its violating the basic rights of religious minorities.  The court also ruled that Bill 21 could not be implemented in Quebec’s English schools because it was not listed as one of the provisions that were restricted from presenting a legal challenge.  The Quebec Justice Minister has already indicated plans to appeal this ruling so that teachers will also be banned from practicing their faith publicly.
This is a troubling ruling and UNITED SIKHS will continue to monitor and raise awareness.