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The EFC was an intervener in a Supreme Court of Canada case about whether ecclesiastical decisions about membership and discipline are outside of the scope of judicial review. Hearings started Dec. 9, 2020 and a ruling was announced May 21, 2021. The EFC co-intervened with the Catholic Civil Rights League. The EFC welcomed the ruling in a statement. The May 2021 decision overruled an Ontario Court of Appeal decision released in January 2020 which would have permitted courts t

Bill C-219 is a private member’s bill that would increase the penalty for sexual exploitation of a young person in a relationship of dependency or a person with a disability. It would also amend the Criminal Code to consider it an aggravating circumstance at sentencing if a victim of sexual exploitation had a mental or physical disability. Bill C-219 was introduced by MP John Nater on February 25, 2020. It was reintroduced in 2021 and made it to second reading in April. It wa

UPDATE: Bill C-233 was defeated by a vote of 248-82 on June 2, 2021 Bill C-233 is a private member’s bill that would ban sex-selective abortion. It was introduced by MP Cathay Wagantall on February 26, 2020, and reintroduced Sept. 23, 2020. The bill would make changes to the Criminal Code to prohibit medical practitioners from performing an abortion knowing that the abortion is solely due to the child’s genetic sex. Sample letter for sending to your MP: pdf or docx EFC letter

In this submission to the parliamentary Finance Committee studying the government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the EFC recommends (download PDF): additional flexibility in the Canada Emergency Wage subsidy, to allow charitable organizations to use a six or twelve-month period to calculate the decrease in their revenue exploring matching funds for charitable donations to a particular amount or for a certain period of time, excluding donations for capital projects. inc

A Calgary City Council committee held hearings on a proposed bylaw to ban conversion therapy in May 2020. The EFC’s written submission to the committee noted that “coercive and involuntary efforts to change sexual orientation have no place in our communities” but expressed concern that the bylaw’s definition of conversion therapy is so broadly worded that it infringes on freedom of expression. The EFC urged the committee to amend the definition of conversion therapy and to cl

In this five-page submission (download PDF) to the House of Commons standing committee on health, the EFC recommends: a continued focus on compassionate, life-affirming care that maintains the distinction between palliative care and euthanasia/medical assistance in dying. support for palliative care providers and hospices, include strong, clear conscience protection for individuals and institutions increased training for health care providers in palliative care across all set

The EFC was granted intervener status in the Lamb case in B.C., which involved attempts to expand access to assisted suicide and euthanasia. The case would have been argued before the Supreme Court of British Columbia. The EFC was intervening with the Christian Legal Fellowship. However, the Lamb case was adjourned in September 2019 because Julia Lamb has been approved for MAID (Medical Assistance in Dying). EFC-CLF Notice of Application to Intervene (Dec. 7, 2018) BC Civil L

The Ontario Court of Appeal released its decision May 15, 2019 in the forced referrals case, an appeal of the legal challenge to the Ontario requirement that doctors provide effective referrals for procedures they object to on grounds of conscience, such as euthanasia and assisted suicide. NEW! In fall 2019, the doctors and organizations who brought forward the legal challenge decided not to appeal the decision of the Ontario Appeal Court to protect against the potential of a

Alberta passed Bill 24: An Act to Support Gay-Straight Alliances, in November 2017. The bill required school principals to immediately grant permission for Gay-Straight Alliance/Queer-Straight Alliance clubs or activities “intended to promote a welcoming, caring, respectful and safe learning environment that respects diversity and fosters a sense of belonging” at the request of a student. However the province has passed new legislation that does not include the provisions fro

Here's the latest news including implications analysis by lawyer Geoffrey Trotter, podcast with TWU’s Bob Kuhn, EFC president’s blog and video, webinar discussion, news releases and more. Below this bulleted list is a series of buttons that allow viewing of additional material. Implications for the Evangelical Community of the Supreme Court Decision in the Trinity Western University Law School Case. By Geoffrey Trotter, co-counsel for the EFC in its interventions in the TWU l

On Nov. 2, 2017, justices at the Supreme Court announced their decision in the Ktunaxa case, which they heard back on Dec. 1, 2016. The EFC intervened in the case, and here you’ll find an issue summary, analysis and links to media releases and legal arguments. Issue Summary (From 2016) For the first time, the Supreme Court of Canada was set to determine the merits of an Indigenous religious freedom claim under the Canadian Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms. This historic c

EFC staff are pleased by the Supreme Court decision of May 31, 2018. The case concerns whether the court has the jurisdiction to review the membership decisions of religious communities and other voluntary associations. Randy Wall was a member of the Highwood Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Calgary, Alberta. He was disfellowshipped by the elders of his local congregation. Wall asked the court to undertake a judicial review of the elders’ decision to disfellowship him.

Case Summary A municipal by-law allowed city council meetings in Saguenay to begin with a voluntary prayer for members who wished to participate. Alain Simoneau, a resident of Saguenay at the time, filed a complaint with a human rights tribunal in 2007 over the prayer and the presence of religious symbols, such as a crucifix, at city hall. Simoneau argued that these religious expressions violated his freedom of conscience and religion. The Quebec human rights tribunal found i

The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada intervened before the Supreme Court of Canada in this religious freedom case March 24, 2014. A decision was announced March 19, 2015. The EFC intervened in the case to argue that government decision making must take into account the principles of life in a free and democratic society, including recognition of the religious freedom of individuals, religious communities and corporations / organizations established for a religious purpose. T

EFC President explains court decision and what’s next on 100 Huntley Street (Feb. 9, The Carter v. Canada (Attorney General) case led to the striking down of Canada’s laws that prohibit assisting someone to commit suicide. The federal government was given a deadline of Feb. 2016 to introduce legislation to regulate when and how assisted suicide can be legally practised. The government asked the court for a six-month extension on this deadline and eventually did pass legislati

Case Summary In September 2010, Justice Susan Himel of the Ontario Superior Court effectively struck down the Criminal Code provisions dealing with living on the avails (proceeds) of prostitution, keeping a common bawdy house (brothel), and communicating for the purposes of prostitution in the case of Bedford v. Attorney-General of Canada. That decision was appealed to the Ontario Court of Appeal where five judges heard the appeal and decided: 1. The federal government had tw

Case Summary The Cuthberton v. Rasouli case was about an Ontario man who became comatose following complications with minor brain surgery. At the time the legal proceedings began his physicians determined that he was in a persistent vegetative state, had no hope of recovery and should be withdrawn from life support. His family, including his wife who is a physician, disagreed with the diagnosis and sought an injunction to prevent the physicians from unilaterally removing Mr.

The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada was granted leave to intervene by the Supreme Court of Canada in the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission v. William Whatcott case which was heard on October 12, 2011. This case involves the expression of religious comment in public policy dialogue. The EFC, along with a large number of other interveners, was granted permission to make written and verbal arguments to the Court. The EFC's arguments were made by EFC Vice-President and Genera

Case Summary S.L. v. Commission scolaire des Chênes (hereafter, the "Drummondville" case), a case originating in Quebec, addressed whether parents have the right to choose the kind of education their children will receive, particularly in regard to religious instruction. The case cut to the core of what freedom of religion and conscience and parental authority mean in Canada. The Supreme Court of Canada rendered its decision in the case on February 17, 2012. Read our media re

How this Decision Affects Your Ministry For information about how the Christian Horizons decision may affect your ministry, view the video above and read 'How (Not) to Read Heintz v. Christian Horizons' by Don Hutchinson, who at that time was EFC General Legal Counsel. Legal Submissions Factum of the Intervenor, The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, as submitted to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (Divisional Court) Commentary Lessons for Christian Ministries from Heintz