Law school accreditation rejected for anti-same-sex policy

[Guest]

Interesting case in Ontario, Canada. A private Christian university in British Columbia, Trinity Western, is planning to start a law school in 2016 and has been seeking approval from the federal and provincial law societies (akin to state bar associations) for admission by its future graduates to practice in those jurisdictions. The Law Society of Upper Canada (Ontario's bar association) has decided not to grant approval on the basis of the discriminatory admissions policies of the university. Like BYU, TWU requires students to abide by a "covenant" that includes agreement to have no intimate relationships outside of marriage between a man and a woman. While the decision does not challenge TWU's right to require students to abide by the "covenant", it does hold that permitting graduates from the school to practice law in the province would constitute indirect approval of discriminatory standards by a public institution (the law society).

This would be similar to a prohibition on BYU law grads from admission to practice in states that have legalized gay marriage.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Ontar ... story.html

[_KevinSim]

Like BYU, TWU requires students to abide by a "covenant" that includes agreement to have no intimate relationships outside of marriage. While the decision does not challenge TWU's right to require students to abide by the "covenant", it does hold that permitting graduates from the school to practice law in the province would constitute indirect approval of discriminatory standards by a public institution (the law society).

This would be similar to a prohibition on BYU law grads from admission to practice in states that have legalized gay marriage.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Ontar ... story.html

If Robert Shelby's ruling on Utah's Amendment 3 is upheld by the US Supreme Court, and it therefore becomes legal for any gay couple in Utah to get married, then would a gay law student be in violation of the BYU honor code if s/he was actually married to someone else of the same gender?

[_palerobber]

your summary doesn't make sense. since same sex marriage is legal in Canada, a rule against "intimate relationships outside of marriage" would not uniquely discriminate against gays. is there something you've left out?

[_palerobber]

ah, i see the problem.

you said Trinity Western's rules forbid "intimate relationships outside of marriage".

but what their rules actually forbid is "sexual intimacy that violates the sacredness of marriage between a man and a woman." (TWU Student Handbook)

yep, that's discriminatory. glad to hear this school is being marginalized.

[_EAllusion]

Psychotically revisionist history on the fight for gay marriage aside, same-sex marriage has been legal in Canada for years.

[_EAllusion]

but what their rules actually forbid is "sexual intimacy that violates the sacredness of marriage between a man and a woman." (TWU Student Handbook)

Aaand there you are.

[_moksha]

I don't get it. I thought lawyers were given special elocution training to let them speak out of both sides of their mouth. Wouldn't this allow them to hate on and take legal fees from gays simultaneously?

[_bcspace]

This would be similar to a prohibition on BYU law grads from admission to practice in states that have legalized gay marriage.

Then it's obviously a bad decision. Only the consumer should decide which lawyers to hire.

[_maklelan]

I got my second master's in biblical studies at Trinity Western. None of the professors I know from the religious studies department agree with these policies, or with their required faith statements. There's a seminary associated with the university, though, and between that and the fundamentalist president, there's not a lot they can do to influence the admin.