Secularism draws the state into policing religion

A case before the Supreme Court of Canada is challenging Quebec’s law on secularism. Legal scholar Benjamin Berger is a prominent voice in the study of constitutional and criminal law in Canada. He argues secularism "is a concept that hides more than it shows." In this podcast, Berger examines how secularism obscures the impact of religion on our legal and political systems. "We end up speaking abstractly about what secularism is, what it demands, instead of whether our government is treating people equally and fairly."

Benjamin Berger is professor at Osgoode Hall Law School of York University. He delivered Memorial University’s 2026 Henrietta Harvey Distinguished Lecture.