Trinity Western at SCOC, fighting to allow its grads to practice law in BC, Ontario
Posted November 30, 2017 6:59 am.
Last Updated November 30, 2017 7:07 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – A controversial Christian law school in the Fraser Valley is in the Supreme Court of Canada today and tomorrow, fighting to allow its graduates to practice law in BC and Ontario.
The issue is the community covenant at Trinity Western University, which only allows students to have sex within a heterosexual marriage. The school says the case is about religious freedom.
But intervenors like Raji Mangat with the women’s advocacy group West Coast LEAF say the university’s charter and admissions process are discriminatory.
“It discriminates on the basis of marital status because it prohibits sexual relations outside of marriage and it discriminates on the basis of sexual orientation because it prohibits same-sex relationships, whether they are within marriage or not,” says Mangat.
Janet Epp Buckingham with the university argues the covenant is an important part of the school’s belief as a faith community.
“We believe that there is room in the diversity that is Canada for a small faith-based law school that’s going to be training lawyers to serve their communities.”
But Mangat says, “Your beliefs, which translate into prohibited conduct for certain people, constitutes a barrier to admission that’s discriminatory.”
The BC and Ontario Law Societies also think the covenant discriminates against LGBTQ students, and have been trying to block Trinity Western grads from practicing in both provinces.
