Quebec government vows to defend controversial Bill 21 'until the end'

The Supreme Court of Canada has agreed to hear a legal challenge against Quebec's contentious secularism legislation, known as Bill 21.
Bill 21 prohibits certain public sector employees in authoritative positions—such as judges, police officers, prison guards, and teachers—from wearing religious symbols while on duty.
In response to the Supreme Court's decision, Quebec’s Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette and Minister responsible for secularism Jean-François Roberge issued a joint statement, reaffirming the government's commitment to defending the law “until the end,” said the CBC.
"It is primordial, even vital, for Quebec to be able to make its own choices, choices that correspond to our history, to our distinct social values and the aspirations of our nation," they stated.
Both called federal government’s intention to intervene in the case involving Bill 21 an encroachment on Quebec's autonomy.
Background of Quebec’s secular law
The secularism law was enacted by Quebec’s National Assembly in 2019 and to shield it from legal challenges, the provincial government invoked the Constitution’s notwithstanding clause, which must be renewed every five years. The most recent renewal took place in 2024, said the CBC.
Despite this, the law has faced continuous legal opposition. It was first challenged in Quebec Superior Court and later at the Quebec Court of Appeal—both of which upheld the majority of the law's provisions.
However, the courts ruled that the ban on religious symbols could not apply to members of the National Assembly.
Quebec’s Superior Court previously sided with English-language school boards, which argued that Bill 21 violated their linguistic rights, said the CBC. This ruling was later overturned by the Quebec Court of Appeal in February 2024.
The Fédération autonome de l'enseignement (FAE, which represents about 66,000 teachers), expressed its satisfaction with the Supreme Court’s decision to hear the appeal. While the union supports secular public schools, it opposes the law’s impact on hiring and promotion for educators who wear religious symbols.