Without the state, who would tell us how to dress or where to pray?

“Bill 9, introduced by the governing Coalition Avenir Québec on Thursday, bans prayer in public institutions, including in colleges and universities. It also bans communal prayer on public roads and in parks, with the threat of fines of C$1,125 for groups in contravention of the prohibition… Full face coverings would be banned for anyone in those institutions, including students.”

“’We think that when the state is neutral, Quebecers are free,’ said Roberge”

“The legislation runs afoul of both Quebec’s charter of human rights and freedoms and Canada’s charter of rights and freedoms but in 2021, Quebec’s superior court upheld the statute despite a finding that the law violates the freedom of expression and religion of religious minorities. Governments in Canada can pass laws that breaches certain fundamental rights if they use a legal mechanism known as a the “notwithstanding clause”.

“Like Bill 21, the new legislation also invokes the clause pre-emptively, shielding it from challenges under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.”