The Government of Saskatchewan announced plans to appeal the Court of Queen’s Bench ruling on separate school funding.
On April 20, a Queen’s Bench judge ruled that the province can no longer fund non-Catholic students attending a Catholic school.
“After a thorough review of the decision, we will be filing a notice of appeal to the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal,” Justice Minister and Attorney General Gordon Wyant said in a statement.
“In doing so, I hope we get further clarification on this matter that is vitally important for Saskatchewan families.”
The provincial government has actively voiced their opposition to the ruling, going so far as to invoke the nothwithstanding clause earlier this month.
That puts a five year stay on the court decision taking effect. Premier Brad Wall said that if the Saskatchewan Party still forms government in five years they will use the notwithstanding clause again if necessary.
READ MORE: Sask. man who helped draft notwithstanding clause believes province is using it prematurely
There are no hard numbers for how many non-Catholic students attend Catholic schools in Saskatchewan, but the province estimates the court ruling could remove funding for up to 10,000 children.
“We wanted to give students and their families the certainty that their ability to choose which school they attend will not be impacted by this decision,” Education Minister Don Morgan said
in a statement.
The Saskatchewan Catholic School Board Association (SCSBA) have previously announced plans to appeal the ruling. As of May 2 the SCSBA was investigating fundraising options to cover legal costs.
They estimate an appeal will cost $125,000.
However, some critics say using the notwithstanding clause is unnecessary if appeals are being filed. The ruling would not take effect, one way or another, until the appeal process is complete.
The provincial government plans to file the appeal on Friday.
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