The Canadian Constitution Foundation (the “CCF”) is pleased to announce that it has been granted intervener status in a constitutional challenge to a directive from Quebec’s minister of education that bans conspicuous prayer on school properties.

The CCF will assist the court in the interpretation of the right to freedom of religion under section 2(a) of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms when it hears arguments from A.B., the parent of an affected child, and various civil liberties groups, in an upcoming judicial review of the April 19, 2023 Order in Council.

The CCF will argue that the new policy amounts to a total ban on prayer for some students including Muslim students whose faith requires them to pray conspicuously during school hours. The CCF will also explain how the deleterious effects of the directive on the religious rights of children outweigh any benefits in the form of increased respect for state secularism, which is the minister’s stated goal.

The CCF is represented in the intervention by Chantal Bellavance of Boro Frigon Gordon Jones.

We are currently awaiting a hearing.

Quebec school prayer ban challenge


CCF Launch: October 5, 2023
Jurisdiction: Quebec
Status: Ongoing
Next Key Date: Awaiting a hearing.

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