Federal government staying out of court challenge to Quebec’s face-covering law

The federal government will not participate in the upcoming constitutional challenge of Quebec’s law that bans people from receiving or providing public services while wearing face coverings, Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould says.

The law, known as Bill 62, has angered proponents of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who said it is not up to the government to tell people how to dress.

However, the federal government is staying out of the court challenge in the first stage of the legal process, saying the decision is consistent with its overall practice regarding provincial laws. While there are two exceptions to the general rule, federal governments traditionally wait until the appeal process to contest a provincial law.

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