December 9, 2025
MONTREAL – B’nai Brith Canada is urging the Government of Quebec to clarify the potential impacts of Bill 9, a recently-proposed law that would expand the existing policy of state-secularism in the province.
“We have taken some time to give our due diligence to a review of Bill 9,” said Paola Samuel, Quebec and Atlantic Canada Regional Director for B’nai Brith Canada. “As it is drafted, the law raises more questions than answers. It is creating an environment of anxiety and uncertainty not only in the Jewish community but also for members of other faith-based communities. The Government must rectify this dissonance to ensure the public understands how the project of Laïcité might impact their rights.”
Quebec has advanced a system of State-secularism – known in French as Laïcité – since 2019, when it introduced Bill 21, An act respecting the laicity of the State. The policy prevents public employees and civil servants from engaging in public expressions of support for an established religion, meaning they cannot wear religious headwear, such as a Kippot, Hijabs, or Turbans, while performing their duties. Professionals within this category include public-school teachers, judges, doctors, nurses, and government officials, although the Act exempts those who entered their roles before Bill 21 came into effect.
B’nai Brith Canada criticized Bill 21 in a 2018 statement, describing it as an “assault” on Quebecers’ fundamental rights and freedoms. In 2026, the Supreme Court of Canada will hear arguments in a case challenging Quebec’s authority to use the Federal Notwithstanding Clause to override sections of Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
If enacted, Bill 9, “An Act respecting the reinforcement of laicity in Québec,” would amend the scope of Bill 21 to include a broader segment of Quebec society. Under the proposed arrangement, teachers in government-subsidized private schools would have to observe laicity. After a three-year grace period, the law states, the Government may also strip these private schools of funding if they permit religious programming during ordinary hours of instruction, although some activities may be permitted after-hours.
A similar set of reforms would govern private child-care facilities that receive funding from the provincial government. Quebec has already adopted a different law, Bill 94, concerning laicity within the public school system.
“In practice, Bill 9 may have a detrimental impact on Jewish institutions, as well as those associated with other faiths,” said Richard Robertson, B’nai Brith Canada’s Director of Research and Advocacy. “It may also impact the ability of certain other private institutions, such as hospitals, to offer the same quality of services or care to patients or clients with religious needs.”
Bill 9 would also bar individuals from wearing face-coverings associated with a religion, such as Niqabs or Burqas, while receiving government services. It also prohibits public prayers, such as in parks or on city streets during protests, although municipalities can issue permits for specific events in most cases.
“Quebec is free to act within its legal means, and it is acknowledged that many Quebecers support secularism initiatives in good faith,” said Simon Wolle, B’nai Brith Canada’s Chief Executive Officer. “The issue is how the laws will operate in practice, particularly for minorities whose religious identity has visible components.
“As a human rights organization, we are seeking further clarification on the potential ramifications of Bill 9, which remain unclear. B’nai Birth Canada remains committed to working with the Government of Quebec to ensure that its approach to secularism does not have an unintended adverse impact on the Jewish community or adherents of any other faith.”