Open events

2024 will mark five years since the adoption of An Act to respect the laicity of the State, also known as Law 21. Law 21 sought to formalize the secularization of the state, through its public institutions, as well as immerse itself in private relations through its amendments to the Quebec Charter of Human Rights & Freedoms. Some may well argue that such a legislative approach would calcify relationships, rather than put forth a sustainable model of community living. Furthermore, the double use of the notwithstanding clause (ss. 33 & 34 of the act) in the statute has been discussed across Canada and has been a source of inspira8on for other provinces allowing them to legislate on controversial questions.
This bilingual roundtable seeks to examine, dissect, and critically analyze the aftereffects of this legislative project, including the usage of the notwithstanding clause. It will ask participants whether (or if/how) Law 21 has attained its objective of providing a shared vision (and future) of Quebec society, and avoid, as premier François Legault explained, a “bulwark against slippages” (our translation). In other words, this roundtable will assess and discuss whether laïcité, as shaped through Law 21, provides a sustainable societal framework. Drawing on expertise in law, political science, religious studies, gender studies, and sociology, this roundtable will examine 1) the long- awaited Quebec Court of Appeal decision, 2) the sustainability of the notwithstanding clauses; and 3) the circulation of laïcité narratives in Québec and the transnational ripple effects.