On July 2, 2015, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice upheld the decision of the Law Society of Upper Canada (LSUC) to refuse to recognize the law program of Trinity Western University (TWU), a private Evangelical Christian university in Langley, B.C. TWU has appealed.
The Justice Centre intervened in this court action, in support of Charter section 2(d) right to freedom of association, including the right of every charity, ethnic and cultural association, sports club, temple, church, and political group to establish its own rules and membership requirements.
The Federation of Law Societies of Canada has approved the law program of TWU as meeting academic and professional standards. The LSUC admits there is nothing wrong with TWU’s law program, but claim that TWU’s Community Covenant discriminates against the LGBTQ+ community. The Community Covenant prohibits numerous legal activities such as vulgar or obscene language, drunkenness, viewing pornography, gossip, and sexual activity outside of the marriage of one man and one woman.
The Ontario Court of Appeal ruled against Trinity Western University on June 29, 2016.