For immediate release from the Association for Reformed Political Action (ARPA) Canada

March 18, 2015 

ARPA CANADA AVAILABLE FOR COMMENT ON LOYOLA CASE CONCERNING FREEDOM OF RELIGION IN INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS

OTTAWA – The Supreme Court of Canada will release its decision in the Loyola case tomorrow morning at 9:45 a.m. The Association for Reformed Political Action (ARPA) Canada intervened in the case to defend Christian education and parental rights from the continual encroachment of the State.

At stake in this case is parental authority itself. Provincial governments are increasingly taking over the role of parents, requiring all students to be taught what it believes is true, and even removing the freedom of parents to take their children out from objectionable classes. 

“Our hope is that the Supreme Court will affirm hundreds of years of legal precedent, and will send a loud and clear message to provincial governments to stop meddling in the religious affairs of families and independent schools,” says André Schutten, ARPA Canada’s legal counsel. “The State, especially when it comes to education, just needs to trust families and parents a little more.”

ARPA Canada pulled together a coalition of over 300 different independent Christian schools and associations from across the country creating the diverse Association of Christian Educators and Schools (ACES). ARPA Canada was able to present arguments to the Supreme Court on behalf of the ACES coalition. 

ARPA’s legal counsel André Schutten will be present at the Supreme Court tomorrow and will be available for comment. For a background on the Loyola case, click here. To read the ACES factum, click here.

– 30 –

Interview Requests: André Schutten will be available for comment in the Supreme Court of Canada following the release of the decision and is available throughout the day for in-studio or telephone interviews in Ottawa. To arrange an interview contact Niki Pennings, Administrative Assistant, at 1-905-577-5875 or [email protected]