Compelled speech at the Law Society of Ontario – An interview with Bruce Pardy and Lisa Bildy

All lawyers and paralegals play a vital role in Accelerating Culture Shift, one of 5 strategies adopted by the Law Society to address the barriers faced by racialized licensees.

As part of this strategy you are required to create and abide by an individual Statement of Principles that acknowledges your obligation to promote equality, diversity and inclusion generally, and in your behaviour towards colleagues, employees, clients and the public.

This was the direction from the Law Society of Ontario to its membership in 2017. The obvious political ideology at play here offended many Ontario lawyers and some of them banded together to create “StopSOP” (Stop the Statement of Principles).

In April 2019 they fielded a slate of 22 Bencher candidates who stood for election to the society’s Convocation with the entire slate being elected.

Leading the revolt against compelled speech and in favour of non-partisan lawyers were Law Society members Lisa Bildy, StopSOP Campaign Chair and Bruce Pardy professor of law at Queen’s University.

Robert Vaughan interviewed Bruce and Lisa while attending the Society For Academic Freedom and Scholarship’s AGM at Western University in London, Ontario.