Ontario, Nova Scotia law societies reject B.C. Christian law school for antigay policy

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      Although a British Columbian Christian university's controversial law school received accreditation in B.C., other provincial law societies have voted against accreditation.

      TWU students must sign a covenant that forbids sexual intimacy "that violates the sacredness of marriage between a man and a woman" or face punishment or explusion, or be refused admission. Thus, in addition to sexual relations outside heterosexual marriage, homosexual relations are prohibited.

      The Federation of Law Societies in Canada gave preliminary approval to Langley's TWU in December. The Law Society of B.C. approved accrediting graduates from TWU's law school on April 11.

      On April 24, Ontario's Law Society of Upper Canada voted 28 to 21 against accrediting TWU's law school in B.C. Consequently, TWU graduates won't be able to practise in Ontario. The Ontario law society, which was founded in 1797 and became the model for law societies across Canada, is the largest and oldest one in Canada. The rejection marks the first time it has denied accreditation.

      Meanwhile, Nova Scotia's law society voted on April 25 to accredit the TWU law school only if it drops its covenant that bans same-sex sexual relations. Ten members of Nova Scotia's Barrister's Society voted to conditionally accredit the law school while nine members voted against conditional accreditation.

      Opposition to the school also continues on in B.C.

      Victoria lawyer Michael Mulligan launched a petition to call a vote to overturn the law society's decision. He has gathered 1,303 requests, which surpasses the minimum of 650 votes to call a special general meeting. The society has 60 days to hold a meeting.

      In addition, openly gay Vancouver Park Board commissioner Trevor Loke (who plans to attend law school) is launching a court challenge against the B.C. government for approving the law school.

      You can follow Craig Takeuchi on Twitter at twitter.com/cinecraig. You can also follow the Straight's LGBT coverage on Twitter at twitter.com/StraightLGBT.

      Comments

      17 Comments

      a human rights lawyer

      Apr 25, 2014 at 4:52pm

      And up next, the class action suit against, and the de-certification of, these two law societies for their blatant employment discrimination against this school's graduates on the basis of their sexual preference (being straight); and to be followed soon thereafter by federal legislation removing the power of self-governance from the legal profession and making the regulation of the legal profession a government body.

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      it makes me wonder

      Apr 25, 2014 at 11:14pm

      It is odd that the law society in Ontario will accept admitted briber of government officials Erik Bornmann into their club but won't allow students who have done nothing wrong but attend a school they did not like .
      Even Marcia Clarke could win that case

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      A Judge Ordinary

      Apr 26, 2014 at 8:42am

      It's sad that our once proud legal profession has been thoroughly politicized. There is nothing illegal about the student conduct policy, as I understand it TWU uses this sort of policy and it is not amenable to attack under human rights law. What this shows is how our "legal profession" is basically a politicized club that doesn't respect the rule of law but its own interpretation thereof.

      The other problem is that every University has policies that require students to do more than obey the law. These policies are, on the one hand, about risk management and mitigating loss, and, on the other hand, about installing a certain political disposition in the students---or discriminating against those who don't already have it, by denying them their freedom to question the political standard of behaviour required.

      One thing that saves this sort of policing is that every law school has basically the same police-state structure of things you cannot say. An example I heard related was this: a guy was going to law school, and he had a habit of referring to young women as "chicks." He was keel-hauled into the Dean's office and told he wasn't to do that. They are not amused by precociousness like asking "what law did I break, and how many dollars is the fine?" It's not a negotiation. You will either submit to the political diktats of the admin for the time being, or you will not attend law school. For a place that is supposed to be about learning the rule of law, the law school is surprisingly bereft of rule of law: the lawyers who are now "blowing their wad" (is that too gauche) over this are exposing themselves (OK, major faux pas there, people) for what they are: people who have no respect for the rule of law but who prostitute our ancient judicial priesthood for their own purposes---and they are loathe that anyone outside of their particular prostitute-cult should ever become a lawyer.

      wil

      Apr 26, 2014 at 10:57am

      please when you talk about discrimination, think a moment. If you have to sign a contract with the school regarding your sex life in any way it is an interference with your personal rights. Why would you want anyone taught in that school to defend you. The last thing Canada needs is a bunch of crazy kristian lawyers running around spouting their personal view of the world. Get over it folks it is just a superstition a bunch of fairy tales at best with no proof for their bias. I want a lawyer that is blood and guts and full of fury, not someone that has been instructed by religion. If god really existed he should be fired for the miserable job he has done over the centuries. No amount of prayers saved anyone from the natural events so far.

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      tkemper

      Apr 26, 2014 at 3:57pm

      So does the so called "Law Society" of Upper Canada think TWU should also be forced to admit devil worshippers? How about people engaged in incest? Bestiality?

      By their own twisted logic TWU has no right to discriminate against these people, right? Where does it end?

      melan

      Apr 26, 2014 at 4:01pm

      TWU President, Bob Kuhn, played the victim card astonishingly quickly. It was a miracle!

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      @wil

      Apr 26, 2014 at 7:37pm

      Exactly what part of law doesn't strike you as a fairy-tale? Obligations are like angels or demons. They have no mass. Have you ever seen an obligation? What colour was it?

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      Barry William Teske

      Apr 27, 2014 at 2:10pm

      tkemper:

      You obviously have a very hateful view of the world.
      It has brought you to the point where you think hating others different than you is ok.
      I hope and pray for you find a higher good because there is no love in hate.

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      Anonymous Lawyer

      Apr 27, 2014 at 2:53pm

      My opinion is that the B.C. Law Society should have rejected the accreditation. TWU is private entity, but as soon as it sought to have a law school and seek public endorsement and accreditation, it moved closer to the public sphere. Further, having a public entity endorse discriminatory practices of a private entity is inappropriate, harmful and contrary to the public interest. We have worked so hard to protect discrimination against the LGTBQ community and I fear that this recent development in B.C. may be a step in the wrong direction. I’ve tried to put down my thoughts onto paper here: http://equalityrightsforall.wordpress.com/

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      Alan Layton

      Apr 27, 2014 at 7:01pm

      Good! Religious bigot ruin everything.

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