On November 6, 2017, with the support of the Canadian Constitution Foundation (CCF), Prof. Ryan Alford of Lakehead University’s Bora Laskin Law Faculty, filed an application challenging the Law Society of Ontario’s new requirement that all lawyers and paralegals draft a personal Statement of Principles demonstrating their “personal valuing” of equality, diversity, and inclusion and accepting an obligation to promote those values in their professional context and generally.
On Oct 25, 2018 the Notice of Application was amended to add Toronto lawyer Murray Klippenstein as a co-applicant. Read the release here.
If you’re concerned about over-regulation and compelled speech, please help us defend your Charter rights!
UPDATE: Following the Law Society of Ontario’s 2019 board of directors election, this case has been dropped. The CCF remains committed to staying on guard against any sort of Charter-violating speech measures introduced by professional regulators with state-sanctioned power such as the Law Society of Ontario.
See: “More than half of Ontario lawyers elected to regulator oppose statement of principles” in Canadian Lawyer magazine.
Fighting compelled speech: challenging the LSO’s Statement of Principles
CCF Launch: November 6, 2017
Jurisdiction: Ontario
Status: Closed
Next Key Date: Closed
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