English Montreal school board files suit against Bill 96

Joel Ceausu

The English Montreal school board is the first out of the gate filing a lawsuit contesting bill 96, which the board feels violates the constitution in a number of ways, notably section 23 of the Canadian charter of rights and freedoms in addition to other elements of the constitution.

The lawsuit contends that the bill amending Quebec’s language law affects existing charter guarantees for communities to manage their education systems and educate their population, guarantees they say cannot be blank by the use by the government’s pre-emptive use of the notwithstanding clause.

The board council mandated a law firm to launch the challenge last week and has gone to great links to declare its support publicly and repeatedly for protecting French in Quebec, but contends that Bill 96 violates the English-speaking community’s right to management and control of its educational institutions under the Charter.

The EMSB is being supported in their lawsuit by the Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board, north of Montreal. Montrealers recall that it was EMSB board Chair Joe Ortona who was famously turfed from Équipe Team Lionel Perez CDN-NDG by Ensemble Montréal leader Denis Coderre during the last municipal elections over his and his board’s position on Bill 96. Joel Ceausu is the Local Journalism Initiative Reporter with The Suburban