Supreme Court of Canada
301 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0J1
(Re): Case 100468
/ Plaintiff’s Name:
Benazir Ahmed
Age: 21
From:
Sunnyvale, Alberta / Testimony:
“I am a conservative Muslim as part of my religion I do not take off my burqa in public in order to be modest as required by my faith. The Alberta government will not let me get a driver’s licence because I will not allow my picture to be taken with my burqa on.”
/ Defendant’s Name:
Duncan Smithee
Position:
Minister of Transportation for Alberta Government
From:
Edmonton, Alberta / Testimony:
“The Alberta government respects all religions and works to ensure that all religious groups feel welcome in our province. However, we also value the security of our citizens and the protection of our society. Ms. Ahmed’s religious dedication is admirable, but it directly conflicts with the standards that my department has created in order to combat identity theft, illegal purchasing of controlled substances such as tobacco and alcohol and security within government buildings when photo identification is required. The reality of Ms. Ahmed’s situation is that a police officer would not know who she is and that is unacceptable. We are not forcing her to stop wearing a burqa, but she must realize that if we do not demand an accurate photo for her driver’s licence, we could not demand anyone else in society to have one taken and that is unequal treatment.”
Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms being challenged in the testimony:
□Fundamental Freedoms
□freedom of conscience and religion
□freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication
□freedom of peaceful assembly
□freedom of association
□Democratic Rights
□Mobility Rights
□Legal Rights
□Equality Rights
□Official Languages of Canada
□Minority Language Educational Rights
□Enforcement
Specific evidence in the testimony to support that being the charter challenge: / What type of right is this?
□Collective rights
□Individual rights
□Both
Evidence from the testimony that supports your selection above:
Is this a violation of the plaintiff’s Charter rights?
□Yes
□No
What evidence do you have that suggests it is or is not? / If this is a violation, is it a reasonable limit that can be justified in a free and democratic society?
□Yes
□No
Why?
List some possible solutions to this charter case:
The Supreme Court must come to a decision on which solution will be chosen. / Which one was chosen?
Why? / Record how each judge voted:
______□ Yes/□ No
______□ Yes/□ No
______□ Yes/□ No
______□ Yes/□ No
______□ Yes/□ No
Press Release:
The media is asking for your written statement on the decision. In 100 words or less, describe what decision the court made, why it made it and why you personally agree or disagree with it.