On November 1, 2016, a five member panel of the Court of Appeal of British Columbia (“B.C.”) (the “Court”) unanimously upheld the decision of the B.C. Supreme Court to quash the decision of the Law Society of B.C. (“LSBC”) not to accredit the proposed law school of Trinity Western University (“TWU”). The Court affirmed that the case raised “important issues about tolerance and respect for differences in a diverse and pluralistic society.” In balancing the rights to freedom of religion and equality under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Court enunciated and applied clear principles for balancing these rights, reiterated that state neutrality accommodates diverse views and that TWU has the “right to act on its beliefs, absent evidence of actual harm.”
For the balance of this Bulletin, please see Charity & NFP Law Bulletin No. 394.