Dear Friend,
Since 1964, the EFC has worked tirelessly to promote the application of biblical truths before our governments (who create the laws) and our courts (who apply them). For 60 years, we’ve worked to be a positive influence for the good of all Canadians on important issues of life and faith and in obedience to the biblical commands to promote justice and righteousness.
Court interventions are highly strategic but expensive. The EFC only decides to intervene after much consideration. But when the stakes are high and the issues are of major concern to religious freedom or involve those facing vulnerabilities, we can’t
not get involved.
The EFC is a highly experienced intervener and friend of the court. The EFC has intervened in 32 Supreme Court of Canada hearings to date, as well as in 35 hearings in other courts! This year, we are seeking to intervene in at least two cases.
The first involves Harvest Ministries International (HMI), a Christian group based in Kelowna, BC. They had booked the Quebec City Convention Centre to hold their 10-day revival event in June 2023. About 1,200 people were expected to gather each day for worship, prayer, and presentations.
Then, with just weeks to go, Quebec’s tourism minister ordered the convention centre to cancel the event. The minister was concerned that anti-abortion views, which she claimed are contrary to the core values of Quebec, would be promoted at the event. However, abortion was not even a planned topic at the event! It appears that HMI was being discriminated against because of their strong and open pro-life stance.
HMI is suing the Quebec government to defend “the fundamental rights of Harvest, its members and followers, to live out their faith, to express themselves politically, and to assemble peacefully without state hindrance.”
Evangelical leaders in Quebec are concerned because many of their churches rent publicly owned spaces for services and events. The EFC is working with partners on an intervention strategy to defend the fundamental rights of freedoms of expression and religion.
Another case involves two men in Calgary, AB, who worked for an escort business that was run by convicted traffickers. In 2021, they were found guilty of having violated sections of the
Criminal Code that make it illegal to benefit financially from the prostitution of others and to procure women into the sex trade.
The lawyers for the two men are challenging the constitutionality of the two laws under which the men were convicted, arguing that they are too broad and may capture activities that are not exploitative. The lower court agreed with the lawyers, but the Alberta Court of Appeal disagreed, so now the case will be heard by the Supreme Court of Canada. The EFC has applied for intervener status in support of the current prostitution laws, making similar arguments to those we argued in an Ontario case last year.
As you may recall, the EFC had intervened before the Ontario Superior Court when a group of sex workers launched a constitutional challenge against the current prostitution laws in court, seeking to have prostitution fully decriminalized in Canada. Thankfully, the Court upheld the prostitution laws which the EFC had strongly advocated for the government to adopt in 2014. This case has been appealed to the Ontario Court of Appeal but will likely be put on hold until the Supreme Court rules on the Alberta case.
The question for the courts is whether the current prostitution laws, passed under the
Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act (PCEPA), were a consistent and reasonable response to Parliament’s determination that prostitution is inherently exploitative. This is the first time that the Supreme Court will consider the constitutionality of the prostitution laws under the
PCEPA. We believe it is important for the EFC to be there.
The EFC has long argued that, as long as there is a demand for paid sex, women and children will be sexually exploited because traffickers have the financial incentive to ensure that there is a steady supply of bodies available for purchase. The aim of the prostitution laws is to curb the demand for paid sex by criminalizing those who profit from the sexual exploitation of others and those who buy sexual services.
We believe that the current laws send a strong message that women’s and children’s bodies are not for sale. Far from promoting the dignity and equality of women, prostitution objectifies and dehumanizes them. A society in which human bodies are not objectified and sexual intimacy is not commodified is a healthier and safer society, especially for those vulnerable groups of people who are most often prostituted or impacted by prostitution.
We apply for court intervention in these and other cases because much is at stake. We seek to provide a robust defense of our freedoms and to ensure just rulings are made for the benefit of all Canadians.
It’s crucial that we build up the EFC’s Legal Fund immediately. Will you please donate to the Fund
today? As always, we are grateful for your partnership.
Dr. David Guretzki
President & CEO