Article content

MONTREAL — Quebec’s highest court agreed Thursday to hear an appeal on behalf of groups seeking to suspend the central parts of the province’s secularism law.

Catherine McKenzie, a lawyer for the applicants, said Quebec Court of Appeal Chief Justice Nicole Duval Hesler did not give a reason for granting leave to appeal in a ruling from the bench.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Groups seeking to suspend Quebec religious symbols law granted leave to appeal Back to video

McKenzie said it is rare for a judge to grant leave to appeal a lower court’s decision denying an injunction.

Quebec’s secularism law, known as Bill 21, prohibits some public sector workers, including teachers and police officers, from wearing religious symbols at work.

McKenzie and other lawyers representing a national Muslim organization, a civil liberties group and a university student who wears an Islamic head scarf had asked for an immediate stay of the central components of the law while their full legal challenge is heard.