Prayer for Relief: Saguenay and State Neutrality Toward Religion in Canada

Ravi Amarnath, Brian Bird

Research output: Article

Abstract

To what extent can the state, in carrying out its functions, profess or favour one religious tradition over another? This question was at the heart of the decision of the Supreme Court of Canada in Mouvement laïque québécois v. Saguenay (City). The Court decided that the Canadian state bears a duty of neutrality in matters of religion, which means it cannot profess or favour one religious tradition over another. This article discusses the consequences of how the Court articulated the duty of neutrality in Canada, and, in particular, how it pertains to deriving a meaning for a "secular state".
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)176-187
JournalCambridge Law Review
Volume1
Publication statusPublished - 2016

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