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New Brunswick rethinks Langley law school approval

 

The Law Society of New Brunswick is reconsidering its approval of the Trinity Western University law school and will hold a secret ballot in mid-September.

The society voted 14-5 in favour of approval June 27 but is reconsidering.

The LSNB has posted its document online with the background on the September meeting. It includes a resolution that says the Community Covenant “discriminates against members of the LGBTQ community; and whereas the accreditation of Trinity Western University, while it maintains and promotes the discriminatory policy reflected in its Community Covenant Agreement, would not be in the public interest or the interest of justice and would not serve to promote and improve the status of lawyers in society;” the LSNB should reconsider its approval.

At the June 27 meeting where the society approved TWU, it also approved a motion “that council reconfirm that, regardless of educational background and personal beliefs, a member of the Law Society of New Brunswick, including a student-at-law, shall in all activities, professional and other, not discriminate against any person on grounds of age, colour, disability, gender, language, marital status, national or ethnic origin, race, religion, sex or sexual orientation, social condition and political belief or activity, and, in particular, shall respect the dignity and worth of all persons and shall treat all persons equally and without discrimination.”

The Federation of Law Societies of Canada (FLSC) and the BC Ministry of Advanced Education approved the law school in December 2013. Some provincial law societies rely on FLSC’s approval while others hold their own votes.



Heather Colpitts

About the Author: Heather Colpitts

Since starting in the news industry in 1992, my passion for sharing stories has taken me around Western Canada.
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