Decision confirms safety exceeds religious freedom
Montréal (May 6, 2020) – On April 30, 2020, the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) dismissed the application for leave to appeal in the case of Singh et al. v. Montréal Gateways Terminals et al., confirming that safety must trump religious freedom at the Port of Montreal Terminals. This is an outstanding victory for BLG that puts an end to over 15 years of litigation.
The SCC has affirmed the Superior Court of Québec's decision, unanimously confirmed by the Court of Appeal, establishing that Montreal Gateway Terminals and two other maritime terminals are entitled to require that truck drivers of Sikh faith wear hard hats over their turbans, despite their religious beliefs prohibiting them from doing so.
The team representing Montreal Gateway Terminals was comprised of Justine Laurier and Marie-Pier Emery from BLG’s Labour and Employment Group in Montréal.