OTTAWA – The Supreme Court of Canada has refused to reconsider the case of two Alberta Hutterite colonies who argued that forcing their members to have their photographs on their driver’s licences violates their religious rights.
The country’s top court rejected the colonies’ bid for a rehearing of a 4-3 ruling, released in July, which sided with the Alberta government.
For years, Alberta had allowed people to carry special licences without photographs if they had religious objections, but the province changed the law in 2003, requiring all licences to have photos.
The province said the universal photo requirement would minimize identity theft and help build a facial recognition database.
Members of the Three Hills Hutterite colony northeast of Calgary and the Wilson colony near Lethbridge fought the requirement, arguing their charter rights to religious freedom were being violated.
The Hutterites interpret the Old Testament’s Second Commandment – which in part bans "graven images" – as forbidding them from having their photos willingly taken.
The Hutterites contended their communal lifestyle would be threatened if they were unable to get driver’s licences.
Rehearings are seldom sought and the court rarely grants them when they are
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