British Columbia’s TWU argued in Nova Scotia Supreme Court that the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society (NSBS) did not have the authority to refuse to approve the university’s proposed law school.

The society’s council decided that TWU students would need to meet national requirements for skills and knowledge required to be licensed to practice law. However, TWU must drop its community covenant prohibiting same-sex intimacy before graduates from the school would be allowed to enroll in the province’s bar admission program.

In its brief to the court, the NSBS argued while the Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects freedom of religion and association, it does not require the society to support conduct that discriminates against others. “Those who hold evangelical beliefs are not singled out,” the NSBS brief states. “Instead, it is the law degree from schools that engage in discriminatory conduct that is singled out.” Read More