Courts to allow kirpans

As of Friday, Sikhs will be allowed to carry the religious symbol while visiting public areas of British Columbia’s courthouses

RELIGIOUS SYMBOL

Initiated Sikhs are required to carry a kirpan, a knife that looks like a miniature sword with an exaggerated curve at the end. Worn in a sheath either underneath or outside of clothing, it’s meant to represent spiritual wisdom and duty to stand against injustice. The Khalsa ( Amritdhari) Sikh code of conduct requires a kirpan to be worn with four other articles of faith — sometimes called the Five Ks: the kesh ( unshorn hair, usually covered with a turban), kanga ( wooden comb), kara ( iron bracelet) and kachhera ( cotton breeches).

THE ISSUE

In B. C. and in many jurisdictions, the kirpan wasn’t seen as a religious symbol but was classified as a weapon along with knives. That view has changed over the years. A significant development occurred in 2006 when the Supreme Court of Canada upheld the right of a 12- year- old Montreal student to wear his kirpan in school. In 2010, Sikhs were allowed to wear kirpans at Olympic venues. Last year, as the resolution of two human rights cases, Toronto police developed a formal policy to allow Sikhs to bring kirpans into courthouses. In January, Alberta allowed kirpans into courthouses.

THE RESOLUTION

Sikhs in B. C. will be allowed to carry a kirpan with a blade that doesn’t exceed four inches ( 10 cm) long in a sheath that doesn’t exceed 7.5 inches ( 19 cm). The kirpan must be worn under clothing. Anyone wearing a kirpan has to inform a sheriff’s officer upon entry to a courthouse ( there may be a deputy sheriff at or near the door or a Sikh may have to ask to be directed to a sheriff’s officer) and identify themselves as an observant Sikh. The kesh and kara have to be evident as proof of religious observance. Government- issued identification may be requested. It is up to the sheriff’s officer to determine on a case- by- case basis whether someone wearing a kirpan is allowed into court. The officer is also authorized to ask questions such as the person’s relation to the case and the reason for being in the courtroom.

JASON PAYNE/ PNG Sukhvinder Kaur Vinning, executive director of the World Sikh Organization of Canada, holds a kirpan outside Surrey provincial court Wednesday. Kirpans are stylized knives worn by initiated Sikh men and women.