Act respecting the laicity of the State

Common card · No. 310139

The Act respecting the laicity of the State (French: Loi sur la laïcité de l'État), introduced and commonly referred to as Bill 21 or Law 21 (French: Loi 21), is a statute passed by the National Assembly of Quebec in 2019 which asserts that Quebec is a lay state (secular state). It prohibits the wearing of religious symbols by certain public employees in positions of authority and those who were already in office when the bill was introduced. The statute operates despite the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, and also notwithstanding certain sections of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. On April 20, 2021, the Superior Court of Quebec upheld most of the law, despite stating that the law violates the freedom of expression and religion of religious minorities (especially Muslim women), because the National Assembly invoked the notwithstanding clause. However, the court did rule that the law was inoperative with respect to English-language school boards and members of the...

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