Canada's Supreme Court to Hear Challenge to Quebec's Secularism Law

The case will examine the use of the notwithstanding clause and its impact on religious freedoms and minority rights.

Quebec's Bill 21, enacted in 2019, bans certain public workers, such as teachers and police officers, from wearing religious symbols at work.
The law has faced criticism for disproportionately affecting Muslim women who wear the hijab and other religious minorities.
Quebec invoked the notwithstanding clause of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms to shield the law from legal challenges over fundamental rights violations.
The federal government, for the first time, plans to intervene in the case, which could have significant implications for human rights and provincial autonomy in Canada.
A hearing date has not been set, but it is expected later this year, with six groups challenging the law on various legal grounds.