Supreme Court to decide whether it will weigh in on Saskatchewan’s school pronoun law

The Supreme Court of Canada is set to announce today whether it will hear appeals in a challenge of Saskatchewan’s school pronoun law.

The law prevents children under 16 from changing their names or pronouns at school without parental consent.

Premier Scott Moe’s government invoked the Charter’s notwithstanding clause in the 2023 legislation, allowing it to override certain Charter rights for five years.

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It has argued parents should be involved in their children’s decisions at school, while LGBTQ+ group UR Pride says the rule causes irreparable harm to gender diverse youth.

Earlier this year, the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal ruled the group’s challenge can continue.

It said the court can’t strike down the legislation because of the notwithstanding clause, but it can issue a declaratory judgment on whether it violates constitutional rights.

The group and the province have appealed and asked Canada’s highest court to expedite the case to be heard alongside a challenge of a Quebec law that prevents public sector workers from wearing religious symbols on the job.

Quebec also invoked the notwithstanding clause in its law.