Khalsa Sikhs can wear kirpan in Toronto courthouses

Sikhs who wish to enter a Toronto courthouse wearing a kirpan (stylized representation of a sword) now face fewer barriers according to a settlement reached with the Toronto Police Service, Toronto Police Services Board, and the Ministry of the Attorney General.

The Toronto Police Service ("TPS") agreed to revise its procedures to ensure that practicing members of the Sikh faith will be allowed to wear kirpans in public areas of courthouses, subject to an individualized risk assessment.

The TPS will also seek input from the World Sikh Organization of Canada and the Ontario Human Rights Commission on training for its court officers dealing with the duty to accommodate the kirpan related to a person's creed under the Human Rights Code ("Code").