BILL 21: BALANCING SECULARISM AND DISCRIMINATION IN QUEBEC
, 1
Introduction
In 2019, “Bill 21 (also called An Act respecting the laicity of the State) was passed by the
Quebec National Assembly”1, also known as the “Quebec Secularism Law.”2 The law bans
public sector employees from wearing religious symbols while on the job. They claim that it
leads to a neutrality in the state and creates secularism for not allowing any religion inside the
institutions of government and proving equal rights. Critics, however, have said that it unfairly
targets religious minorities, many of whom wear visible symbols at work “such as hijab, turban
or kippah.”3 This paper analyzes whether Bill-21 truly leads to equality & fairness or rather
paves the way for discrimination against religious communities in Quebec.
Current Law
Most legislation in Canada governs matters of religious symbols and state secularism at the
provincial level, therefore that provinces have power to make their own rules. At the federal
level, “The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (a federal law that protects the rights of
all Canadians) guarantees freedom of religion (Section 2a) and equality (Section 15).”4 This
means that everyone can have their practice of religion without the intervention from the
government. Quebec has always had an idiosyncratic attitude to secularism. “In the late 1900s,
public education deconfessionalized and Quebec schools were no longer tied to the Catholic and
Protestant churches.”5 In Quebec, it laid the foundation for more secular modern laws — like Bill
1
Souissi, Takwa. "Bill 21 (An Act Respecting the Laicity of the State)," Policy Options. Updated by
Clayton Ma. Published online December 17, 2021. Last edited September 19, 2023.
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/bill-21
2
Ibid.
3
Banerjee Sidhartha. “Bill 21: Five things about Quebec’s contentious secularism law” Published
February 29, 2024.https://globalnews.ca/news/10326918/bill-21-five-things-about-quebec-secularism-law/
4
Kinsinger Kristopher. “Quebec’s Bill 21 misapplies religious neutrality principles.” Published online May
7, 2019.
https://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/may-2019/quebecs-bill-21-misapplies-religious-neutrality-principl
e/
5
Souissi, Takwa. "Bill 21." Policy Options. Updated by Clayton Ma. Published online December 17, 2021.
Last edited September 19, 2023. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/bill-21
, 1
Introduction
In 2019, “Bill 21 (also called An Act respecting the laicity of the State) was passed by the
Quebec National Assembly”1, also known as the “Quebec Secularism Law.”2 The law bans
public sector employees from wearing religious symbols while on the job. They claim that it
leads to a neutrality in the state and creates secularism for not allowing any religion inside the
institutions of government and proving equal rights. Critics, however, have said that it unfairly
targets religious minorities, many of whom wear visible symbols at work “such as hijab, turban
or kippah.”3 This paper analyzes whether Bill-21 truly leads to equality & fairness or rather
paves the way for discrimination against religious communities in Quebec.
Current Law
Most legislation in Canada governs matters of religious symbols and state secularism at the
provincial level, therefore that provinces have power to make their own rules. At the federal
level, “The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (a federal law that protects the rights of
all Canadians) guarantees freedom of religion (Section 2a) and equality (Section 15).”4 This
means that everyone can have their practice of religion without the intervention from the
government. Quebec has always had an idiosyncratic attitude to secularism. “In the late 1900s,
public education deconfessionalized and Quebec schools were no longer tied to the Catholic and
Protestant churches.”5 In Quebec, it laid the foundation for more secular modern laws — like Bill
1
Souissi, Takwa. "Bill 21 (An Act Respecting the Laicity of the State)," Policy Options. Updated by
Clayton Ma. Published online December 17, 2021. Last edited September 19, 2023.
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/bill-21
2
Ibid.
3
Banerjee Sidhartha. “Bill 21: Five things about Quebec’s contentious secularism law” Published
February 29, 2024.https://globalnews.ca/news/10326918/bill-21-five-things-about-quebec-secularism-law/
4
Kinsinger Kristopher. “Quebec’s Bill 21 misapplies religious neutrality principles.” Published online May
7, 2019.
https://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/may-2019/quebecs-bill-21-misapplies-religious-neutrality-principl
e/
5
Souissi, Takwa. "Bill 21." Policy Options. Updated by Clayton Ma. Published online December 17, 2021.
Last edited September 19, 2023. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/bill-21
