Journalist Banned from Alberta Hospitals
The CCF is seeking judicial review after Alberta Health Services (AHS) banned independent journalist Mocha Bezirgan from all AHS properties across Alberta for one year.
The Canadian Constitution Foundation intervened in the Ontario government’s appeal of a decision that found legislation requiring teachers to pass a new math proficiency test (MPT) constituted unconstitutional racial discrimination.
In response to declining math scores, the Ontario government developed policies in 2018 that included all-new teacher candidates successfully complete a MPT before they were certified. These tests were reviewed for bias and cultural insensitivity before they were administered. However, data showed that candidates who identified as non-white failed the test at significantly higher rates than white candidates.
A group called Ontario Teachers Candidates’ Council (OTCC) successfully argued in Ontario’s Divisional Court that the disparities in outcome by race showed a violation of section 15(1) of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and that these math tests were racist.
In our view, it is not an unreasonable policy to require teachers be competent in mathematics and unequal outcomes do not inherently mean something is racist (more here).
Thankfully, the Ontario Court of Appeal agreed with the CCF (see our release). We do not expect this ridiculous challenge to go further.
Related Cases
Real Estate Regulator Targets Political Speech
The CCF secured a free speech victory for B.C. realtor Corbin Chivers after his professional regulator withdrew a caution letter over political views he expressed online.
Toronto’s Right to Bike Lanes (Cycle Toronto v Ontario)
The Canadian Constitution Foundation is intervening in the Ontario government’s appeal of a court ruling that prevented the removal of several downtown Toronto bike lanes, arguing the decision improperly expands Section 7 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms into a positive right to bike lanes.