Thread by @JoshDehaas

The Law Society of Ontario is soliciting feedback on "governance and electoral reforms.”

If you live in Ontario, listen up because this affects YOU, and there’s something you can do about it.

The board currently running the LSO ran as a slate on a pro-EDI platform in 2023.

They’ve put forward a proposal that would appear to entrench their power, and reduce the likelihood that anyone who opposes their pro-EDI agenda will gain control in future elections.

A bit of history before I explain their worrisome proposal.

In 2016, the LSO received a report that purported to find systemic racism in the profession. The report's reasoning and methodology were deeply flawed.

Nevertheless, the LSO passed a new rule requiring Ontario lawyers to EXPLICITLY mouth their “obligation to promote EDI."

Needless to say, many lawyers were angry about this blatant violation of freedom of expression, opinion, thought, belief & conscience.

A group of pro-liberty lawyers called StopSOP got together and took over roughly half the seats on the board in the 2019 election.

This was enough to force the board to make the EDI statements voluntary.

But the pro-EDI folks were NOT pleased, and they organized a comeback in 2023 under a slate called the Good Governance Coalition.

GGC won all 40 elected lawyer seats. The "stop woke" slate got none.

What the GGC benchers are proposing to do now is NOT, in my view, democratic.

Currently, there are 53 “benchers” (board members): 40 elected lawyers, 5 elected paralegals, and 8 government appointees.

The board is now proposing to change this to 14 elected lawyers, 2 elected paralegals, 4 government appointees and....

10 MEMBERS APPOINTED BY THE BOARD 🚨🚨🚨

The result? Elected lawyers will no longer be a majority, and a third will be appointed by the current board.

This is like Doug Ford’s government changing the law to allow cabinet to appoint a third of MPPs in the election later this month.

Hmmm? I wonder what kind of people he would choose. Hint... he'd choose people who agree with Doug Ford and will continue his policy direction.

This is the business of every Ontarian, since YOU, through your MPPs, have given lawyers the privilege of regulating ourselves.

The LSO decides who can become a lawyer, what training we need to do (it currently includes an hour annually of EDI), and what fees we are charged.

If the LSO comes to be viewed as undemocratic, then the government may just take back regulation for itself.

That would be bad, because lawyers can’t hold the government to account and protect people’s rights if the government can wield power over lawyers.

As an Ontarian, YOU are entitled to offer feedback between now and January 31.

I would encourage you to do so using this form in a civil and constructive manner.

There is no need to fill out all the questions.

lso.ca/about-lso/init…