|
WSO asks Attorney
Generals to tweak policies,
says community resources being wasted repeatedly
WSN Bureau
The World Sikh
Organization of Canada has expressed concern at the incident and
said the refusal to accommodate the wearing of the kirpan in effect
excludes many Sikh Canadians from full participation in the legal
system and from serving in important capacities such as being on
juries or testifying as witnesses at trials.
Canadian courts
have recognized that the kirpan is an important Sikh article of
faith and not a weapon. "In its unanimous ruling in the Multani
case, the Supreme Court of Canada has already definitively put this
issue to rest. Our highest court has determined that a Sikh wearing
a kirpan must be accommodated. It is unacceptable that despite this
ruling, Sikhs are still prohibited from entering a courthouse with
their kirpans, particularly when they are there to fulfill their
civic duties as Canadians," said Palbinder Kaur Shergill, the
General Legal Counsel for the WSO.
"It is a waste
of valuable resources when Sikhs have to continuously face
challenges to the kirpan, despite clear and unequivocal direction
from the Supreme Court of Canada. It is imperative that court
personnel take direction from the very Courts which we all rely on
as Canadians, to ensure the upholding of the rule of law," said,
Gurpreet Singh Bal, President of WSO Canada.
While the WSO
recognizes that it is important to ensure security at courthouses,
prohibiting the right of a Sikh to freely practice their faith based
on irrational fears and speculation, is a violation of Charter
rights. The WSO has called upon all Attorney Generals and
administrators of court services across the country to review their
policies to ensure compliance with the law.
23 January 2008
|
Read Also