Saskatchewan Appeal Court says challenge of province’s pronoun law can continue

The Saskatchewan Court of Appeal says a challenge of the province’s school pronoun law can continue.

It has granted, in part, the government’s appeal of a decision that allowed the challenge.

But the court says a judge has jurisdiction to determine whether the law limits Charter rights.

The law, which came into force in 2023, requires parental consent if children under 16 want to change their names or pronouns at school.

Lawyers for the LGBTQ+ group UR Pride brought forward the challenge, arguing the law causes irreparable harm to gender diverse youth and its case should move ahead.

The government argued its use of the notwithstanding clause should end the challenge.

Nearly a dozen groups intervened in the appeal, including the government of Alberta, which argued in favour of Saskatc