Saskatchewan Court of Appeal Overturns Human Rights Ruling

Hugh Owens' adOn April 13, the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal ruled that Hugh Owens did not violate the province's human rights code when he placed a newspaper ad in Saskatoon's Star-Phoenix protesting a 1997 celebration of gay pride week.  Initially Owens was found by the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission to have promoted hatred; a decision upheld by a 2002 court ruling. On Thursday, the Court of Appeal declared that "although bluntly presented and doubtless upsetting to many," the ad did not constitute hate speech under Canadian law.  The Court of Appeal also said that Courts should exercise care when dealing with foundational religious writings.

A concern in the court's ruling, however, is a caveat suggesting that if the ad was published today rather than in 1997, the ruling may have been different, since homosexual rights were less fixed in law then.  In his April 17 weblog, VOMC spokesman, Glenn Penner said, "This is a troubling caveat.  Whether you agree with his methods or not, we must state unequivocally that Mr. Owens is no less entitled to express his religious beliefs today than in 1997, public opinion and legislation notwithstanding.  Just because a belief is deemed less established today than in the past does not mean that it is less worthy of being protected.  Indeed, the opposite is the case.  Now, more than ever, it is the rights of those who would express dissenting opinions in our society that need protection." To read Glenn's full weblog, click here.

Thank God that the religious rights of Hugh Owens have, at least in part, been recognized by the Court of Appeal. Pray that the government will continue to respect the rights of all citizens to express their religious beliefs. Pray that the Lord will give government and spiritual leaders in Canada the wisdom they need to guide the country through this political landmine.

Canada News

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    The Supreme Court of Canada has announced that they will be releasing their decision regarding Trinity Western University's School of Law on Friday, June 15th. The ruling could have wide-ranging implications on the protection of religious freedoms in Canada.

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  • BRITISH COLUMBIA: Christian Law Graduates Banned from Practising Law
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    "It should be front page news across Canada," states Sun Media's Ezra Levant in an email news alert. Due to the results of a referendum among the province's lawyers, the British Columbia Law Society voted recently to reverse an earlier decision to accredit Trinity Western University (TWU) law school graduates. As a result, graduates of TWU's law school will not be able to practise law in British Columbia (BC).

    The legal profession rejected accreditation for TWU's graduates based on a personal pledge of conduct the university's students are required to sign. The pledge, which includes a promise to abstain from sex outside of traditional marriage, raises a same-sex equality rights issue for the BC Law Society, but pits it against religious freedom in Canada.

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    On December 3, a Court of Queen's Bench judge overturned a December 2007 ruling by the Alberta Human Rights Commission (AHRC) that a letter written by Stephen Boissoin published in a local newspaper broke provincial law against spreading hatred (click here for more details). Justice E.C. Wilson ruled that the AHRC panel chair Lori Andreachuk had made many errors in her ruling. The judge ruled that Andreachuk's order that Boissoin pay $5,000 and refrain from making "disparaging remarks" about homosexuals could not be enforced, as it was "unlawful or unconstitutional."

    The judge said that while Boissoin's remarks were "jarring, offensive, bewildering, puerile, nonsensical and insulting," they were not hateful or extreme and that there was nothing in the letter to suggest it was exhorting Albertans to discriminate against homosexuals in areas which fall under provincial jurisdiction. At last report, Darren Lund, who launched the complaint against Boissoin, has not decided whether he will appeal this ruling.

    In another religious freedom case in Canada, Christian Horizons, a Christian organization that assists individuals with developmental disabilities, will be appealing a May 2008 ruling by the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal (OHRT) on December 15-17. The OHRT ruled that Christian Horizons violated the rights of a former worker, Connie Heintz, by terminating her employment when she revealed that she was a lesbian (click here for more information). The ruling ordered Christian Horizons to compensate Heintz $23,000 in lost wages and to stop requiring its staff to sign an explicitly Christian morality code.

    Thank the Lord that the ruling against Stephen Boissoin was overturned. Ask the Lord to give the believers involved in the Christian Horizons case Christ-like endurance as they stand up for their beliefs. Pray that Canada will uphold the religious freedom of its citizens.