CALGARY — Continuing their fight against the photo requirement on driver’s licences, members of Alberta’s Hutterite communities will be asking the Supreme Court of Canada to once again hear the case.
In July, the Supreme Court agreed with the provincial government in a 4-3 ruling, saying Hutterites must have a photo on their licence for security reasons.
“We’ll have to speak to our lawyers,” said Sam Wurz, manager of the Three Hills colony — about 130 km northeast of Calgary — on when they will move forward with the appeal.
Wurz said Hutterites in Alberta were granted an exemption from having photos on their licences in 1974 which was withdrawn in 2003.
“It’s against our religion and it’s against the 10 Commandments,” he said of the photos.
“The 10 Commandments say thou shall not make an image. Once you have a religion you might as well believe it and practice it.”
There are a few hundred Hutterites affected by the ruling around the province, said Wurz, and he questions why Alberta requires photos when other provinces don’t.
“We understand where the government is coming from,” he said.
“But Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, they’re all exempt. Anybody that can prove they belong to a religious organization, they’re exempt from having a photo. We want the same treatment