National

B.C. lawyers to vote in referendum on accreditation of Christian law school

Darpan News Desk Darpan, 26 Sep, 2014 03:52 PM

VANCOUVER - The governing members of the Law Society of British Columbia have voted in favour of holding a binding referendum to determine whether a Christian university's law school should be accredited.

The decision, in a 20 to 10 vote by the society's governors, came after a divisive and emotional three-hour hearing Friday over Trinity Western University's controversial policy against sex outside heterosexual marriage.

The mail-in referendum is to be held as soon as possible next month and follows a non-binding decision by B.C. lawyers in June to reject the Langley, B.C., university's plans to open a law school in the fall of 2016.

Those who favoured the referendum said it would be the most democratic and transparent way for lawyers across the province to express their views because many were unable to vote in person in June.

However, others said the issue will be decided by the courts and has already been hashed out, with B.C. lawyers voting 3,210 to 968 in favour of a motion calling on the society's governing body to reject the school.

Law societies in Ontario and Nova Scotia have voted against accrediting law students from Trinity, and the university has launched legal challenges of those decisions.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

B.C. teachers get a helping hand from the province's labour movement

Labour leaders in British Columbia are expected to announce later today financial aid for the province's striking teachers, who will themselves take a vote on binding arbitration.

B.C. teachers get a helping hand from the province's labour movement

No element of Canada's new prostitution law should target women, advocates say

No element of a proposed new prostitution law should criminalize prostitutes themselves, a coalition of women's groups said Wednesday.

No element of Canada's new prostitution law should target women, advocates say

Federal program focuses on "root causes" of missing aboriginal women

One of the Conservative government's key programs on missing and murdered aboriginal women includes a focus on "addressing the root causes," despite the prime minister's suggestion that sociology isn't the right lens to use.

Federal program focuses on "root causes" of missing aboriginal women

BMO offers five-year, fixed mortgage rate of 2.99 per cent - again

The Bank of Montreal has slashed its five-year, fixed mortgage rate to 2.99 per cent, a level that had previously raised concerns about it leading to an overheated housing market.

BMO offers five-year, fixed mortgage rate of 2.99 per cent - again

New regulations must balance consumer, broadcaster needs, says BCE

Consumers will get less and pay more, and jobs will be lost, under proposals being debated this week to modernize television program delivery, the country's broadcast regulator has been told.

New regulations must balance consumer, broadcaster needs, says BCE

Stock up on ramen noodle: cost of university to rise 13 per cent over four years

Students will need deeper pockets to study at Canadian universities over the next four years with annual fees projected to rise 13 per cent on average to $7,755, having almost tripled over the past 20 years, according to a new report.