OTTAWA—The federal government will challenge a Federal Court of Appeal decision that quashed its attempts to ban face coverings at citizenship ceremonies.
Immigration Minister Chris Alexander issued a terse, one-line statement Wednesday, Sept. 16, to outline the government’s next step. “The government of Canada will seek leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada in the Ishaq case,” he said.
Zunera Ishaq, a 29-year-old, devout Muslim woman who came to Ontario from Pakistan in 2008, refused to take part in a citizenship ceremony because she would have to show her face.
On Tuesday, the appeal court dismissed the government’s appeal of an earlier Federal Court ruling case that declared the ban on face coverings at such ceremonies was unlawful.
The three-judge appeal panel ruled from the bench, saying they wanted to proceed quickly so that Ishaq could obtain citizenship in time to vote in the Oct. 19 federal election.
One of Ishaq’s lawyers, Marlys Edwardh, said the Immigration Department would be contacted this week so she could attend a citizenship ceremony—accompanied by her lawyers “just in case.”
It was not immediately clear Wednesday whether the government’s stated intention to try and appeal the decision could stop Ishaq from taking the oath before the election. The government has 60 days to file an application to the top court asking it to hear the case.
The ban on face coverings sparked a bitter debate in the House of Commons when it was first announced. Tuesday’s ruling—and the decision to fight it—are sure to put the issue firmly on the campaign agenda.
