OT attorneys, would you sign the LSUC Statement of Principles?

I was listening to a Jordan Peterson podcast episode today and it had two attorneys from Ontario talking about this "statement of principles" that the Law Society of Upper Canada, now the Law Society of Ontario has required all attorneys to sign in order to practice.

Statement of Principles page

quote:

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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. (Recommendation 3(1) in the Challenges Faced by Racialized Licensees Working Group’s Final Report)

The Law Society will ask licensees to report on this in their 2017 Annual Report.

This requirement applies to all Law Society licensees. A licensee is anyone who is licensed to practice law or provide legal services and includes retired licensees, licensees working outside of Ontario and licensees not currently practicing law or providing legal services.

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The two templates that they are permitted to use

quote:

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Template 1

As a licensee of the Law Society of Upper Canada, I stand by the following principles:

A recognition that the Law Society is committed to Inclusive legal workplaces in Ontario, a reduction of barriers created by racism, unconscious bias and discrimination and better representation of Indigenous and racialized licensees in the legal professions in all legal workplaces and at all levels of seniority;

My special responsibility as a member of the legal profession to protect the dignity of all individuals, and to respect human rights laws in force in Ontario;

A commitment to advance reconciliation, acknowledging that we are collectively responsible to support improved relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Ontario and Canada; and,

An acknowledgement of my obligation to promote equality, diversity and inclusion generally and in my behaviour towards colleagues, employees, clients and the public.

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I would post the second template but it's much longer than the first.

The two attorneys that were discussing it with Dr. Peterson on his podcast said that the Bar association found that lawyers were discriminatory in their practice. They also said that this is a form of compelled speech, making them sign something that they may not necessarily agree with in order to be able to practice their profession.

YouTube link to podcast episode