Overview
- Bill 9 applies Section 33 to the Health Statutes Amendment Act, 2024, the Education Amendment Act, 2024, and the Fairness and Safety in Sport Act, and also suspends the application of the Alberta Bill of Rights and the Alberta Human Rights Act to those laws.
- Premier Danielle Smith and Justice Minister Mickey Amery say the move is to protect children and prevent multi‑year litigation, with the government asserting it will halt ongoing lawsuits and end legal uncertainty.
- The targeted laws limit gender‑affirming medical care for minors, require parental consent for students under 16 to change names or pronouns and parental opt‑in for sex‑education content, and restrict female sports to participants assigned female at birth.
- An Alberta judge previously granted an injunction pausing parts of the health law, finding potential irreparable harm to gender‑diverse youth, while medical and LGBTQ+ groups continue constitutional challenges.
- Criticism intensified from the Alberta Teachers’ Association, civil‑liberties and medical organizations, and the federal justice minister, as the Supreme Court weighs related cases on the scope of the notwithstanding clause and Alberta participates as an intervenor.