Hearing Concludes in Sask. School Pronoun Policy Court Challenge

The latest hearing in a legal challenge of Saskatchewan’s school pronoun policy wrapped up on Sept. 24, with the court reserving its decision.
The Saskatchewan government introduced the policy in August 2023, requiring schools to seek parental consent if a student wants to change his or her name or pronoun.
The policy was challenged by UR Pride, a peer-to-peer support group for LGBT individuals that filed an injunction to stop implementation of the policy. The group was granted an injunction on Sept. 28, 2023.
Premier Scott Moe responded in October 2023 by replacing the policy with a Parents’ Bill of Rights and invoking the notwithstanding clause to get the bill passed.
Saskatchewan appealed the decision, and the Court of Appeal heard arguments this week. It will issue its decision at a later date.
The Alberta policy, announced by Premier Danielle Smith in February, requires schools to seek parental consent if a student aged 15 years or younger wants to use a different name or pronoun.
Those students 16 years and older do not need parental consent, but parents are to be informed about their child’s decision.
Moe’s government has also argued that the legal challenge is no longer relevant as the policy has been replaced by the bill, which is protected by the notwithstanding clause.