A proposed ban on all religious practice in certain public places and institutions in Quebec Province, Canada reflects increasing suppression of religion, according to a Christian rights group.

The Christian Legal Fellowship (CLF) called Bill 9 a “mounting legislative suppression of religion in the city in the name of laïcité (secularism),” the group asserted in a Dec. 2 press statement.

The bill, introduced in the provincial parliament on Nov. 27 and entitled, “An Act respecting the reinforcement of laicity in Quebec,” left the CLF “deeply troubled,” the group stated, saying its bans on religious activity would include colleges and universities.

The bill defines religious practice broadly as any action “that may reasonably constitute, in fact or in appearance, the manifestation of a religious conviction or belief,” which would include prayer. The only exception it allows is the wearing of a religious symbol, though that is already banned by other laws.

The proposed law would expand the province’s ban on religious symbols, which Bill 21 established in 2019 and Bill 94 enacted on Oct. 30. The CLF stated it would prohibit “collective religious practice” in public parks or on public sidewalks and footpaths without prior municipal authorization.

The prohibition could affect university prayer rooms, the CLF stated, adding that the ban “seems to go much further.” The group said the bill appears to ban student gatherings anywhere on university campuses to pray, worship or even study the Bible, subject to some limited exceptions.

Jean-François Roberge, Quebec’s Minister Responsible for Secularism, introduced the bill, reportedly saying at a news conference on Nov. 27 that Quebec citizens wanted the change in law for prayer rooms to be closed at universities.

“CEGEP [Collège d’enseignement général et professionnel] and universities are not temples, or churches, or those kind of places,” Roberge said. 

The bill allows an exception in some situations for leased spaces, according to government regulations, but the government has yet to announce this. The CLF pointed out the bill permits this exception only if the body does “not, directly or indirectly, finance the religious practice.”

“CLF is concerned that this rule would unfairly target religious students and restrict their campus activities solely because of their religious affiliation,” stated the CLF.

Bill 9’s blanket prohibition on all collective religious practice in public parks, public sidewalks and footpaths is a “drastic measure,” the CLF stated. The only exception is to obtain prior permission by the municipal council on a “case-by-case” basis. Even then, the CLF highlighted that certain restrictions would apply, including that the religious practice be “of short duration.”

“It seems this provision could prohibit two or more co-religionists from engaging in any type of religious activity together, potentially including evangelism, open-air worship or prayer, or distribution of religious literature, on sidewalks or in public parks, without prior authorization from the municipality,” stated the CLC.

The bill also extends the province’s ban on religious symbols to staff at daycares and in subsidized private schools. School service centers cannot be used for religious activities such as “overt prayers” under the bill, which seemingly would make it illegal for churches to rent school buildings for worship.

Another concern about Bill 9 is a repeal of Quebec’s longstanding Freedom of Worship Act. This act gives legal protection for worshippers to enjoy worship without suffering discrimination.

Bill 9 would revoke accreditation for Christian private schools, CLF said.

“This seems to capture all religious schools,” stated the CLF. “While Bill 9 does not deny such religious schools to exist at all, the lack of accreditation and funding risks undermining these institutions and their ability to operate, especially if they have received this funding in the past.”

The proposed ban on public religious activities drew widespread criticism, according to the CLF.

“CLF is deeply concerned that this bill would unfairly censor certain types of public expression and outdoor gatherings for no reason other than the fact that they are religious,” stated the CLF. “This type of law harkens back to the mid-1900s, when certain provinces and municipalities tried to limit evangelistic activities. The Supreme Court of Canada at that time ruled such limits were ultra vires [beyond the authority of] the municipalities and provinces.”

The CLF expressed concern that other laws mirror the degradation of religious rights in the province to establish “laïcité,” the concept of secularism in the province. It started with Bill 21, the Laicity Act 2019, which “enshrines” the “paramountcy of state laicity in Quebec’s legal order.”

“Since Bill 21 was enacted in 2019, the province has continued to expand its scope,” stated the CLC. “Bill 94 now compels ‘any person’ providing ‘services’ to students on educational premises to refrain from wearing religious symbols.”

The Quebec Constitution Act, 2025, on Oct. 9 reinforced this push for secularism above religious rights. The act claims to be “the law of laws,” taking “precedence over any inconsistent rule of law.” It also enshrines laïcité as a “founding principle” and “fundamental characteristic” of Quebec, the CLF stated.

CLF Executive Director and General Counsel Derek Ross said the concept of laïcité “purports to be advancing religious neutrality, but it is promoting the exact opposite: a public square which is closed, not neutral, toward religion – and by extension, toward openly religious people.”

A further concern is Bill 94, which received assent on Oct. 30 and prohibits students and others from engaging in “religious practices such as overt prayers or other similar practices” on public elementary and high school properties. The CLF mounted a legal challenge, but the new legislation suspended this.

The CLF pledged to continue advocating for the legal rights of individuals to religious rights in public life.

“These proposed laws represent a marked departure from the constitutional state-religion framework articulated by the Supreme Court of Canada – which prohibits excluding or disadvantaging religion categorically – and an adoption of a closed secularism that effectively promotes the activities and expression of non-believers in public spaces and institutions, to the exclusion of openly religious individuals,” stated the CLC.