Parental Rights Legislation on Legislature’s Agenda as Sask. Government Plans Use of Notwithstanding Clause

Premier Scott Moe speaks at the University of Saskatchewan campus in Saskatoon, on June 28, 2022. The Canadian Press/Liam Richards

The Saskatchewan legislature is back in session as of Oct. 10, and the governing Saskatchewan Party intends to use the notwithstanding clause to push through legislation to require parental consent for children under the age of 16 to change their names or pronouns at school.

Premier Scott Moe first mentioned the use of the notwithstanding clause as “one of the tools” under consideration, which would allow governments to overrule certain aspects of the Charter for up to five years without judicial challenge, on Sept. 13, following a court injunction that stopped progression of the government’s policy on pronouns.