Supreme Court rules Quebec infringed on Loyola High School's religious freedom

The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that Quebec infringed on the religious freedom of a Catholic high school in Montreal by requiring it to teach the province's Ethics and Religious Culture program.

But the high court was divided by a 4-3 margin on how to resolve the clash between religious freedom and the need to follow the secular law of the province.

A vocal minority, led by Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin, said they didn't think the majority struck the right balance between protecting freedom of religion and the need to follow the law.

In the narrowest legal sense, the ruling grants the appeal by Jesuit-run Loyola High School, which wants to be allowed to use its own course and teach the province's Ethics and Religious Culture program from a Catholic perspective.

The school can now reapply to Quebec's Education Ministry for an exemption to teach the program and that decision must be guided by Thursday's ruling.

"The Ethics and Religious Culture program was conceived as a way to teach students to recognize the value of others and the pursuit of the common good," former Loyola principal Paul Donovan told reporters after the judgment was handed down.

"These are laudable goals that we share and wish to inculcate in our students. However, we do not believe that religious values in the context of our school need to be suppressed to accomplish this."