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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

A major new Canadian study looking at Christian young adults' transitions from high school to the next phase in life has begun publishing its findings in July 2018 online here . (And see the EFC's collection of related resources such as podcasts, webinars and Faith Today articles.) The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, Power to Change–Students, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, Youth For Christ and Truth Matters have partnered to discover how we can help our teens stay conne

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.

The Canadian Evangelical Missions Engagement Study Series is the first ever comprehensive national research on how Canadian Evangelicals engage with “mission” or “missions.” With over 3,400 Canadians polled and qualitative interviews with 56 Evangelicals, this series of reports provides a snapshot of how and why Canadian Evangelicals engage with missions, and forms a baseline for future study. A forthcoming fifth report in this series will look at mission definitions and miss

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