{"id":18272,"date":"2014-10-28T14:51:54","date_gmt":"2014-10-28T18:51:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/?p=18272"},"modified":"2021-10-07T12:07:35","modified_gmt":"2021-10-07T16:07:35","slug":"lawyers-referendum-not-just-about-twu-its-about-our-commitment-to-the-rule-of-law","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/intersection\/2014\/10\/28\/lawyers-referendum-not-just-about-twu-its-about-our-commitment-to-the-rule-of-law\/","title":{"rendered":"Lawyers\u2019 Referendum Not Just About TWU \u2013 It\u2019s About Our Commitment To The Rule Of Law"},"content":{"rendered":"
This entry is part 5 of 42 in the series Trinity Western University<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>

THIS POST HAS BEEN WRITTEN BY GUEST AUTHOR DEREK B.M. ROSS, CCCC DIRECTOR OF LEGAL AFFAIRS,
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

We don\u2019t leave human rights to be determined by popular opinion or by a majority vote. We can\u2019t have a tyranny of the majority. That\u2019s why we need courts. That\u2019s why we have a Constitution.<\/em><\/p>\n

My lawyer colleagues will recognize these words, or a variation of them, from the earliest days of their legal education. They were drilled into those of us who walked the halls of Canada\u2019s law schools. Fierce opposition to the \u201ctyranny of the majority\u201d was an axiomatic concept in our law classes. It was a noble concept shared by all Canadians \u2013 or so we were told – but we in the legal profession had an especially important role in protecting it, as the so-called Guardians of the Rule of Law. It was a romantic ideal, but one many cherished \u2013 including me.<\/p>\n

Now I\u2019m not so sure.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t get me wrong. I still want<\/em> to believe that our profession respects the rule of law, even though we might not personally agree with its application in every instance. I still want<\/em> to believe that our profession plays an important \u2013 even an imperative \u2013 role in protecting the civil liberties of those who are disliked, unpopular, or disenfranchised.<\/p>\n

But I\u2019m beginning to question whether it truly does.<\/p>\n

To put my comments in context, most people are by now aware of Trinity Western University (TWU) and the controversy surrounding its proposed new law school. The controversy is centred on its Community Covenant, which all students and staff are required to sign, in which they agree not to engage in sexual activity outside of marriage, defined as being exclusively between one man and one woman.<\/p>\n

TWU\u2019s opponents have asserted that this faith-based covenant is inherently discriminatory, so much so that anyone who ascribes to it must necessarily be deemed unfit to practice law. This bald assertion involves an unwarranted, illogical, and unfair conclusion but has apparently been accepted by the Law Societies of Nova Scotia and Ontario, which have since denied accreditation of TWU\u2019s Law School (even though it had already been accredited by the Federation of Law Societies and the B.C. Ministry of Education as meeting all necessary academic requirements). These decisions were all the more extraordinary considering that human rights legislation and the Charter<\/em> specifically protect TWU\u2019s Community Covenant, as the Supreme Court of Canada clearly decided just 13 years ago in the context of accrediting TWU\u2019s education program.<\/p>\n

The Law Society of British Columbia (LSBC), upon reviewing TWU\u2019s proposed law school program and its Community Covenant, initially respected that Supreme Court decision and concluded that, notwithstanding how its individual leaders personally felt about the Covenant, the LSBC\u2019s ultimate responsibility was to uphold the rule of law. The LSBC determined that the law clearly provided space for TWU\u2019s Law School and that its graduates should be permitted to practice law in British Columbia. This was the right decision, and one that restored confidence in the ideals of my early legal education. This confidence, however, was short-lived.<\/p>\n

Almost immediately, a group of lawyers – who clearly did not share the LSBC\u2019s sentiment \u2013 called for a Special General Meeting of all lawyers in the province to challenge its decision. The vote in that Special General Meeting, which was non-binding, was successful, with the vast majority of those who voted expressing disagreement with the LSBC\u2019s decision. The LSBC then met again, and despite the fact that nothing had changed since its initial decision that the LSBC was required by law to accredit TWU, decided to place the issue of accreditation in the hands of its members to decide by popular vote \u2013 this time, a binding one.<\/p>\n

One does not have to look very long or hard to discover that TWU\u2019s views are not shared by everyone, and certainly not by the vast majority. But isn\u2019t that precisely why we should <\/em>be willing to protect their views and practices? Isn’t that exactly what we lawyers signed up for: advocating for fair treatment for all, even when we may not personally agree?<\/p>\n

In the 13 years that have passed since the 2001 TWU decision, hundreds of teachers have graduated from TWU\u2019s education program. To my knowledge, not a shred of evidence has been presented to suggest that these graduates have exhibited any discriminatory behaviours or attitudes. One wonders how many of those so vehemently opposed to TWU\u2019s proposed law school have ever stepped foot on its campus, talked to any of its staff or students, or met one of its graduates. Perhaps if they did, they would come to view members of the TWU community as reasonable, fellow human beings of goodwill, who would richly contribute to our profession, rather than \u201cthe others\u201d who are to be feared and ostracised.<\/p>\n

I understand why one may disagree with TWU\u2019s Community Covenant on a personal level. What I have difficulty understanding is why our liberal ideals of tolerating opposing views, accepting unpopular expressions and values, promoting religious diversity, and protecting minority rights, no longer seem to apply.<\/p>\n

I have difficulty understanding how we can flatly ignore the rule of law and completely disregard Supreme Court precedent and human rights legislation directly on point \u2013 simply because we do not like or agree with them.<\/p>\n

I especially have difficulty understanding how the LSBC \u2013 the very body charged with maintaining public confidence in the legal profession \u2013 can (rightly) conclude that the rule of law demands protection of TWU\u2019s law school on the one hand, yet on the other hand can shirk its responsibility by deflecting a question of fundamental human rights to its members to be decided by popular vote.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, here we are, facing a referendum, and lawyers in British Columbia have a very important decision to make. Will Canada remain a place where a divergence of ideas and religious expression are tolerated? Will it remain a place where the rule of law is upheld?<\/p>\n

Voting to accredit TWU\u2019s law school in this referendum will send a vital message, but that message is not that the legal profession endorses TWU\u2019s religious views and practices. The message, rather, is this: lawyers in Canada remain committed to opposing the tyranny of the majority and to upholding the rule of law.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t know about you, but that\u2019s a message I\u2019d like to send.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This entry is part 5 of 42 in the series Trinity Western University<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>

THIS POST HAS BEEN WRITTEN BY GUEST AUTHOR DEREK B.M. ROSS, CCCC DIRECTOR OF LEGAL AFFAIRS, We don\u2019t leave human rights to be determined by popular opinion or by a majority vote. We can\u2019t have a tyranny of the majority. That\u2019s why we need courts. That\u2019s why we have a… More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ts_fic_featured_image_caption":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[137],"tags":[],"series":[301],"class_list":["post-18272","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","series-trinity-western-university"],"yoast_head":"\nLawyers\u2019 Referendum Not Just About TWU \u2013 It\u2019s About Our Commitment To The Rule Of Law - CCCC Blogs<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/intersection\/2014\/10\/28\/lawyers-referendum-not-just-about-twu-its-about-our-commitment-to-the-rule-of-law\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Lawyers\u2019 Referendum Not Just About TWU \u2013 It\u2019s About Our Commitment To The Rule Of Law - CCCC Blogs\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"THIS POST HAS BEEN WRITTEN BY GUEST AUTHOR DEREK B.M. 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Decisions Background Trinity Western University is a private religious university in Langley, British Columbia.\u00a0 It\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"equality rights\"","block_context":{"text":"equality rights","link":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/tag\/equality-rights\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/IMG_5726.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/IMG_5726.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/IMG_5726.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/IMG_5726.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/IMG_5726.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":28569,"url":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/intersection\/2019\/10\/11\/charter-values-are-not-charter-rights-by-another-name\/","url_meta":{"origin":18272,"position":1},"title":"Charter Values Are Not Charter Rights By Another Name","author":"cccc","date":"October 11, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cCharter values are not Charter rights by another name or in a different setting; they are a different juridical concept,\u201d wrote Justice Bradley Miller in the recent Ontario Court of Appeal\u2019s McKitty decision. Osgoode Hall, TorontoPhoto Credit: Barry W. Bussey This is but the latest criticism of the controversial use\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Charter Values\"","block_context":{"text":"Charter Values","link":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/tag\/charter-values\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/IMG_3008.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/IMG_3008.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/IMG_3008.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/IMG_3008.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/IMG_3008.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/IMG_3008.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":27716,"url":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/intersection\/2018\/06\/20\/the-constitutional-promise-of-religious-freedom-betrayed\/","url_meta":{"origin":18272,"position":2},"title":"The Constitutional Promise of Religious Freedom Betrayed","author":"cccc","date":"June 20, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/Y7ESLUvcM9U June 15, 2018, will go down in history as the day that the constitutional promise of religious freedom was betrayed.\u00a0\u00a0In the next few minutes I will explain why. The Supreme Court of Canada released two decisions against Trinity Western University\u2019s bid to have a law school, one involving the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms\"","block_context":{"text":"Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms","link":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/tag\/canadian-charter-of-rights-and-freedoms\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/IMG_5851.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/IMG_5851.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/IMG_5851.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/IMG_5851.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/IMG_5851.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":27656,"url":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/intersection\/2018\/05\/31\/supreme-court-of-canada-decides-jehovahs-witnesses-v-wall\/","url_meta":{"origin":18272,"position":3},"title":"Supreme Court of Canada: Churches Free to Determine Membership Requirements and Disciplinary Process Without Judicial Review","author":"cccc","date":"May 31, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Here is the head note of today's decision. Check back to this blog for more commentary: The Highwood Congregation of Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses is a voluntary, religious association. A member must live according to accepted standards of conduct and morality. A member who deviates and does not repent may be asked\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"religious freedom\"","block_context":{"text":"religious freedom","link":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/tag\/religious-freedom\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/IMG_5726-300x200.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":23892,"url":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/intersection\/2016\/11\/14\/law-society-of-bc-appeals-twu-to-supreme-court-of-canada\/","url_meta":{"origin":18272,"position":4},"title":"Law Society of BC Appeals TWU To Supreme Court of Canada","author":"cccc","date":"November 14, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cThe Law Society is of the view that this is a matter of national significance,\u201d said\u00a0David Crossin, QC, BC Law Society President. Indeed, one would have to agree wholeheartedly with Mr. Crossin. This case will, in my view, shape the future of the interrelationship between freedom of religion and sexual\u2026","rel":"","context":"With 2 comments","block_context":{"text":"With 2 comments","link":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/intersection\/2016\/11\/14\/law-society-of-bc-appeals-twu-to-supreme-court-of-canada\/#comments"},"img":{"alt_text":"img_2901","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_2901-e1478280984973-200x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":27870,"url":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/intersection\/2018\/09\/11\/shifting-goal-posts\/","url_meta":{"origin":18272,"position":5},"title":"Shifting Goal Posts","author":"cccc","date":"September 11, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"So where does the\u00a0goal\u00a0stop? That was what we wanted to know when, as a child, I played hockey on Newfoundland\u2019s wind-swept frozen ponds. We used our old rubber boots as the\u00a0goal\u00a0posts, but the longer the game went on, the more we were guilty of moving the opposing team\u2019s\u00a0posts further apart\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Charter of Rights and Freedoms\"","block_context":{"text":"Charter of Rights and Freedoms","link":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/tag\/charter-of-rights-and-freedoms\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Hockey-Skates-300x100.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p30X8p-4KI","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18272","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18272"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18272\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18272"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18272"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18272"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cccc.org\/news_blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=18272"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}