CUPE Saskatchewan says the Supreme Court of Canada announced today that it will hear appeals in the legal challenge to Bill 137: The Education Amendment Act, 2023. The announcement follows a recent Saskatchewan Court of Appeal decision which had permitted challenges to the Government of Saskatchewan’s legislation to proceed.

It’s over a law that came into force two years ago that requires parental consent if children under 16 want to change their names or pronouns at school. Premier Scott Moe’s government invoked the notwithstanding clause in the legislation so it could override certain Charter rights for five years.

The Union, the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour, and the Canadian Teachers’ Federation were joint applicants to intervene in the Court of Appeal case concerning Bill 137. CUPE describes the decision as a significant win for Saskatchewan’s youth.

In a news release, Kent Peterson, president of CUPE Saskatchewan said, “We expect the court will agree with the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal that where a government uses the notwithstanding clause, courts can still review and comment on whether the law violates important Charter rights.”