Ottawa, provinces set to file arguments in landmark Supreme Court case over Quebec’s secularism law

Federal and provincial attorneys-general on Wednesday are set to file their legal arguments in the landmark Supreme Court of Canada case over Quebec’s secularism law – staking out potentially controversial positions after years of public debate.

At stake is how governments use the notwithstanding clause, Section 33 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which allows legislators to override a wide range of rights, from freedom of religion to the presumption of innocence for someone charged with a crime.