{"id":131316,"date":"2026-03-22T19:48:58","date_gmt":"2026-03-22T23:48:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/juritrans.ca\/qc\/?page_id=131316"},"modified":"2026-03-22T20:03:37","modified_gmt":"2026-03-23T00:03:37","slug":"why-we-are-intervening-at-the-supreme-court-of-canada-on-bill-21","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/juritrans.ca\/qc\/en\/why-we-are-intervening-at-the-supreme-court-of-canada-on-bill-21\/","title":{"rendered":"Why we are intervening at the Supreme Court of Canada on Bill 21"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/1″][vc_custom_heading uncode_shortcode_id=”998012″]Why we are intervening at the Supreme Court of Canada on Bill 21[\/vc_custom_heading][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”695172″]First published on 22 March 2026<\/em><\/p>\n

This week, the <\/span>Act respecting the laicity of the State<\/span><\/em> (\u201cBill 21\u201d) will be <\/span>challenged at Canada\u2019s highest court<\/span>. One of the key questions at play is, do courts still have to pronounce themselves on the constitutionality of a law, even when the notwithstanding clause (a mechanism allowing lawmakers to ignore fundamental freedoms guaranteed by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms) is invoked? Or, can governments act without restraint, even abusively so, while courts end up being unable to pronounce themselves on the human rights of Canadians?<\/span><\/p>\n

Since Bill 21 became law in 2019, it has had deleterious effects on many religious minorities in Qu\u00e9bec. Amongst other minorities, <\/span>Muslim women wearing the hijab have had to choose between their employment and their religious freedom<\/span> \u2013 the latter being a fundamental freedom which the government of Qu\u00e9bec has decided to violate through the notwithstanding clause. <\/span>The same can be said today of trans youth in Alberta and in Saskatchewan,<\/span> whose right to use their chosen name and right to healthcare have been jeopardized through the use of the notwithstanding clause.<\/span><\/p>\n

If the Government of Qu\u00e9bec\u2019s position on Bill 21 (as accepted by the Qu\u00e9bec Court of Appeal) is upheld by the Supreme Court of Canada,<\/span> courts will end up powerless in the face of the notwithstanding clause, and will not even be able to examine whether the rights of justiciables have been violated by the law.<\/span> This would be a forty-five-year leap backwards for constitutionally protected rights in Canada, all the way back to prior to the coming-in-force of the Charter.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEvery person in Canada benefits from the same rights and freedoms in principle, no matter one\u2019s religion or gender,” says Celeste Trianon, founding director of Juritrans. “This court challenge offers to the Supreme Court of Canada a historic opportunity to clarify the use of the notwithstanding clause and the possibility for courts to examine laws in spite of said clause. <\/span>It\u2019s time to put an end to the ‘open bar’ certain provincial governments have been asking for.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As the only trans-run organization intervening at the Supreme Court of Canada on Bill 21<\/span>, our position is clear : in the name of judicial independence, the rule of law and the protection of minorities, courts must have the ability to examine the validity of all laws, even when the notwithstanding clause is used. <\/span>Judicial oversight is part of the foundation of a healthy democracy.<\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019ll be heard by the Supreme Court on Thursday, March 26. We\u2019d like to thank our attorneys, Sajeda Hedaraly, Steeves Bujold, Ad. E. and Mariame Tour\u00e9 (McCarthy T\u00e9trault LLP, Montr\u00e9al) for their <\/span>pro bono <\/span>representation for this judicial intervention.<\/span><\/p>\n

For media requests, send an email to celeste <@> juritrans.ca<\/em>.<\/em>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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