EMSB renounces any funding from Court Challenges Program

The English Montreal School Board wishes to clarify certain facts regarding recent allegations concerning the Court Challenges Program.

The EMSB applied to the Court Challenges Program for funding to challenge Bill 21 and section 477.1.1 of the Education Act. The Court Challenges Program concluded that both applications raised novel issues under section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and accepted both applications.

To be clear, while the Court Challenges Program accepted the applications, the EMSB never received funds from the program. No federal funding has been used to fund litigation by the EMSB against the Quebec government.

The EMSB has renounced any funding it could receive from the Court Challenges Program. That said, the EMSB maintains that its power of management and control conferred on it by section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom covers the power to make agreements with third parties, including the Government of Canada.

Recent events do not affect the EMSB resolve to see to an end its important litigation attacking the constitutionality of Bill 21 and section 477.1.1 of the Education Act.