See below for a transcript of this chat that took place Wed. Sept. 18 at noon
Quebec's proposed charter of values would prohibit the wearing of kippas, turbans, hijabs and large crosses (but not small ones) in government offices, schools, daycares and hospitals. The PQ government's stated purpose is to ensure the neutrality of the state toward religions. Is it a good idea or is it an attack on basic freedoms? Should all of Canada adopt similar rules?
Constitutional law expert Tsvi Kahana joins Globe and Mail justice writer Sean Fine to discuss how Quebec and the rest of Canada have traditionally conceived of religious freedom, how big a change this is, and how the courts might view the prohibitions on religious clothing, under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms.