English Montreal School Board, et al. v. Attorney General of Quebec, et al. Supreme Court of Canada File # : 41231.

PUBLISHED: MARCH 17, 2026 | by the Constitutional Rights Centre

In 2021, the Superior Court of Quebec heard several applications, including a person named Hak and the English Montreal School Board, challenging the constitutional validity of Quebec’s Bill 21 prohibiting government workers from wearing religious symbols. In this Bill, now law, Quebec had used the ‘notwithstanding clause’ under s. 33 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (the “Charter”) to make the Charter inapplicable. The challenges were largely dismissed. The Quebec Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal.

The Supreme Court of Canada granted leave to appeal in the case in January of 2025.
The appeal will be argued before the SCC on the week of March 23, 2026.

The Constitutional Right Centre (“CRC”) has, amongst others, been granted leave to intervene in the case. The CRC will be advancing arguments consistent with a Case Comment written by Paul Slansky of the CRC (accessible on the CRC website). These arguments will be advanced by Mr. Slansky, Co-operational Director of the CRC, who has full carriage of the case.

Rocco Galati, Executive Director, CRC

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