Canadian public employees may be banned from wearing religious clothing under a “secularism law” being proposed in Quebec.

Plans to forbid public employees from wearing religious symbols, including a Jewish kippah or a hijab, were announced by the centre-Right Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ) after they swept to victory in provincial elections.

Restrictions would be placed on all religious symbols, including a kippah skull cap or a hijab, and would apply to judges, prosecutors, police officers, prison guards and school teachers in the French-speaking province.

The policy was announced by François Legault, leader of the CAQ, which took power in Quebec on Monday after defeating the ruling Liberal Party.

Most Quebecers “would like to have a framework where people in an authority position must not wear a religious sign,” Mr Legault told reporters at his first post-election news conference on Tuesday.

If employees refuse to comply with the law, they will be forced to take an office job with a minimal public contact or quit.