Canadian Medical Association applies to intervene in Saskatchewan pronoun case

The Canadian Medical Association is looking to intervene as the case of Saskatchewan’s school pronoun law heads to the Supreme Court.

The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) has applied to intervene in the case of Saskatchewan’s pronoun law when it is heard by the Supreme Court of Canada.

In an update on Tuesday, the CMA explained its stance, claiming the court’s decision could have a ripple effect that shapes future health care and rights-based advocacy.

“The CMA believes the courts are entitled to rule on the constitutionality of legislation even if Charter protections are temporarily overridden by the notwithstanding clause,” the organization said in its announcement.

Formally the Parents Bill of Rights, the law prevents children under 16 from changing their names or pronouns at school without parental consent.

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Policy changes in schools were first introduced in Saskatchewan on Aug. 22, 2023, which also required parents to be informed of third-party education and gave them the ability to opt their children out of sex-ed.

Eventually introduced as Bill 137, the Parents’ Bill of Rights was legally challenged by UR Pride Centre for Sexuality and Gender Diversity on Aug. 29, 2023.

UR Pride asked the provincial government to suspend the policy by Aug. 30 of that year. The group threatened to file an injunction to block the policy from coming into effect if the deadline wasn’t met.

The government did not suspend the policy, so UR Pride filed the injunction. A judge issued the injunction, which effectively pressed pause on the policy until the court ruled on the legal challenge.

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In defiance of that ruling, Premier Scott Moe recalled the legislature two weeks early. On Oct. 12, 2023, Moe’s government invoked the notwithstanding clause to shield the legislation from UR Pride’s legal challenge.

“The notwithstanding clause should not be a tool to end public and legal debate,” CMA president Dr. Margot Burnell said. “Legal debate on important issues requires dialogue among legislature, courts and citizens.”

On Oct. 20, 2023, the third and final reading of the bill is passed in the Saskatchewan Legislature and becomes law after it was immediately granted Royal Assent.

At that time, Egale Canada, one of the two organizations representing UR Pride, vowed to continue legal action against the Parents’ Bill of Rights.

The Saskatchewan government continued to defend the bill, recognizing the possibility of it being heard by the Supreme Court.

In August of 2025, Saskatchewan’s Court of Appeal ruled that invoking the notwithstanding clause could not stop a court from ruling whether a law violates the Charter and said the legal challenge could proceed.

• Sask. court says legal challenge of pronoun policy can proceed

On Nov. 6, 2025, the Supreme Court of Canada agreed to hear appeals regarding the law, but no specific date has been set for the hearing.

-With files from The Canadian Press