Face veil ban if giving or receiving state services in Quebec

THE Canadian province of Quebec has banned face coverings for anyone receiving or providing government services, the first law of its kind in North America.

The new religious neutrality law, which was passed by the regional parliament yesterday, will effectively ban the wearing of the niqab or burka in a wide range of arenas, including public transport and doctors’ surgeries.

Quebec’s Liberal government tabled the legislation in 2015 after the party took power a year earlier from the now opposition separatist Parti Québécois (PQ), which proposed a “charter of values” that sought to ban public servants from wearing any religious symbols.

The Liberals narrowed the focus of their law to only focus on face coverings, which Stéphanie Vallée, Quebec justice minister, said earlier this week was necessary for reasons of “communication, identification and security.”

The bill applies to all provincial government departments, along with school boards, universities, public healthcare institutions, subsidised day care centres, and following an amendment in August, municipalities and public transit. Doctors, dentists, teachers, day care workers, midwives and government employees will also be subject to the law.