The conservative, nationalist party Coalition Avenir Québec had campaigned for a law related to laicity during the 2018 provincial election.
The law affects: A grandfather clause exempts some public workers as long as they continue to hold the same job, at the same institution.
The CAQ government also introduced last-minute amendments toughening the law, making provisions for a minister to verify that it is being obeyed and to demand corrective measures if necessary.
[15] The Parti Québécois in 2013 under Premier Pauline Marois proposed the Quebec Charter of Values, a law banning the display of "ostentatious" religious symbols, but they were unable to pass it before losing an election some months thereafter.
This argument arises because some religious garments are easier to remove or hide under regular clothing such as crosses used in Christianity compared to turbans, hijabs, and burqas.
[26] Several legal challenges were filed against the law and a judge ruled that the face-covering ban cannot be applicable while analyzed by another court, because of the irreversible injury it may cause some women of the Muslim faith.
[27] The Quebec Liberal Party government confirmed that it would not appeal the suspension of the key article of its Religious Neutrality Act.
[28] If the Liberal government had been re-elected in the general election on October 1, 2018, Premier Philippe Couillard said he would be ready to go to the Supreme Court of Canada, if necessary, to defend Bill 62.
[29] From his previous comments on the matter, Couillard was not likely to preserve the face covering the ban by invoking section 33 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the notwithstanding clause.
[31] Premier François Legault said the bill was moderate and that by having a law like this, it would prevent a party like French's Marine Le Pen National Rally in Quebec.
[32] The Quebec Liberal Party said the law would go too far, particularly with respect to Muslim women, and continued to advocate a ban only on religious clothing which covered the face, such as the niqab.
[12] Gérard Bouchard and Charles Taylor, authors of the Bouchard-Taylor report on reasonable accommodations, raised concern that the law makes the province not look like a "decent society" and will only feed an intolerance toward minorities.
The Coalition Inclusion Quebec is taking legal action on the basis that Law 21 specifically targets Muslim women.
Another court case is being filed by the English Montreal School Board on the basis of violating minority language rights.
[42] William Steinberg compares Bill 21 to "ethnic cleansing"[43] as it discriminates against minority religions that have more requirements for religious clothing and headgear.
People saw the role of the church as a "necessary step on the road to modernity, to building a secular, more egalitarian society, freed from the evils of superstition".
Bloc Quebecois leader Yves-Francois Blanchet stated this was a provincial matter and not relevant to the federal government's jurisdiction but did campaign in favour of Law 21.
The groups argue that the law is unconstitutional, irreparably harms religious minorities, and constitutes "state-sanctioned second-class citizenship".
[59] In April 2021, Quebec Superior Court judge Marc-André Blanchard ruled that the law violated the freedom of expression and religion of religious minorities (especially Muslim women).