Ontario Premier Wants To Ban Religious Tribunals; Objections Voiced

According to the Associated Press, Jews and Muslims in Ontario will fight for faith-based tribunals to settle family disputes after Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty announced on Sunday that he would introduce legislation to ban all religious arbitration in Ontario. McGuinty on Sunday said that religious arbitrations "threaten our common ground." He promised his Liberal Party government would introduce legislation to outlaw them in Ontario. B'nai B'rith Canada is considering a constitutional challenge to the decision that would ban the long-standing use of rabbinical courts to grant divorces and adjudicate other family matters. (See related prior posting.)