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Faculty of Law, 0niveisity of Nanitoba
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Tiinity Westein 0niveisity (TW0) is a piivate, Chiistian univeisity locateu in
Langley, BC which iequiies thiough its Community Covenant Agieement that all
community membeis - incluuing stuuents, faculty, anu staff - pleuge that they will
abstain fiom "sexual intimacy that violates the sacieuness of maiiiage between a
man anu a woman." Failuie to abiue by the teims of the Community Covenant can
iesult in uiscipline incluuing expulsion fiom TW0 without ieaumission.
In Becembei 2u1S TW0 ieceiveu appioval fiom the Biitish Columbia goveinment
anu pieliminaiy appioval fiom the Feueiation of Law Societies of Canaua (FLSC) to
offei an unueigiauuate common law uegiee piogiam. Bespite conceins having been
iaiseu about the Community Covenant anu its uisciiminatoiy impact on the basis of
sexual oiientation anu maiital status, the FLSC took the position, baseu on an
auvisoiy opinion of a subcommittee of the FLSC, that these matteis weie outsiue the
scope of its manuate.
Each of the fouiteen law societies in Canaua is authoiizeu to ueteimine the licensing
ciiteiia foi lawyeis in its piovince oi teiiitoiy. Some law societies, incluuing the
Law Society of Nanitoba (LSN), uelegateu the authoiity to appiove unueigiauuate
law uegiee piogiams that will qualify giauuates to entei a bai aumission couise to
the FLSC befoie the TW0 issue aiose. The LSN uiu not, howevei, uelegate its
oveiaiching manuate to iegulate the legal piofession in the public inteiest, a
manuate that continues to incluue setting policies foi aumission to the piofession in
the piovince.
!"# $#%&' )*+,#--.+/ 012 of Nanitoba pioviues that :
s.S(1) The puipose of the society is to upholu anu piotect the public inteiest
in the ueliveiy of legal seivices with competence, integiity anu
inuepenuence.
s.S(2) In puisuing its puipose, the society must
(a) establish stanuaius foi the euucation, piofessional iesponsibility
anu competence of peisons piactising oi seeking the iight to piactise
law in Nanitoba; anu
(b) iegulate the piactice of law in Nanitoba.
As iecently ieiteiateu by the Supieme Couit of Canaua in 3+*4 56 7&**#&8 98 :84;#1
2u12 SCC 12, the LSN must exeicise its statutoiy manuate in a mannei consistent
with the values unueilying the <&/&9.&/ <"&*2#* +, =.%"2- &/9 >*##9+?-6
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The Faculty of Law is committeu to ensuiing uiveisity amongst its faculty, stuuents,
anu staff anu to pioviuing an open, positive enviionment foi teaching anu leaining.
The Faculty of Law is committeu to examining anu impioving oui piactices of
inclusion, iespect, equality, anu the piotection of human iights.
The Faculty of Law acknowleuges the histoiy of uisciimination in legal euucation
anu baiiieis to the legal piofession on giounus such as genuei, iace, ieligion,
uisability, anu sexual oiientation, anu iegiets that such uisciimination continues to
exist in some foims.
In this context, Faculty Council iespectfully iequests that TW0 eliminate
uisciiminatoiy language anu content fiom its Community Covenant that constitutes
uisciimination on the basis of sexual oiientation anu maiital status. It will iesult in
a uispiopoitionate ieuuction in available law school aumissions spaces foi gioups
excluueu on the basis of sexual oiientation anuoi maiital status anu it gives iise to
the possibility that a stuuent coulu be expelleu fiom the law school on
uisciiminatoiy giounus.
Faculty Council fuithei calls on the Law Society of Nanitoba to conuuct an open,
tianspaient consultation, consistent with its public inteiest manuate, <"&*2#*
values, anu the laws of Nanitoba to consiuei whethei to accieuit the TW0 law
piogiam foi puiposes of aumission to the piactice of law in Nanitoba (anu ielateuly,
whethei to ievoke its uelegation to the FLSC).
In passing this motion, Faculty Council agiees that:
the Chaii of Faculty Council will foiwaiu this motion to Tiinity Westein
0niveisity, the Feueiation of Law Societies of Canaua, anu the Law Society of
Nanitoba; anu
this motion may be ciiculateu by membeis of Faculty Council anu the Robson
Ball community to othei inteiesteu paities.