CCLA: Statement in Response to #FullStop

The [Carleton County Law Association] acknowledges the Joint Statement, dated April 16, 2021, from the South Asian Bar Association of Toronto (SABA Toronto), the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers (Ontario) (FACL), the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers (CABL), and the Canadian Muslim Lawyers Association (CMLA), denouncing the recent “StopSOP/FullStop” communication criticizing “woke ideology” and “EDI dogma” in the Law Society of Ontario (LSO). The CCLA stands in solidarity with SABA Toronto, FACL, CABL, and CMLA. The CCLA also recognizes its allyship role in the ongoing work to address systemic racism and discrimination in the legal profession.

As part of the CCLA’s mandate, captured in its Mission Statement and Strategic Direction, the CCLA will continue to champion access to justice, equality, diversity, and inclusion. The CCLA’s mandate includes engaging in proactive advocacy on behalf of its members and for the benefit of the public. The CCLA’s hope is to build and strengthen partnerships with organizations like SABA, FACL, CABL, CMLA, and other equity-seeking groups, and to support racialized licensees in our profession.

The CCLA also recognizes the significant work the LSO has done to advance strategies addressing racism and discrimination in the legal profession. The challenges and barriers faced by racialized licensees in the legal profession were outlined in the LSO’s Racialized Licensees Working Group Final Report in 2016. The report included thirteen (13) recommendations as tangible strategies to address systemic racism and discrimination.

Many of these recommendations have since been implemented, including:

• The requirement for annual EDI professional development education;
• An Inclusion Index for legal workplaces with 25 or more licensees;
• Providing a Discrimination and Harassment Counsel;
• Requiring workplaces with more than 10 licensees have a human rights and diversity policy; and
• Requiring licensees to acknowledge the special responsibility they have to respect the requirements of human rights laws in Ontario and to honour their obligation not to discriminate.

The CCLA supports these efforts by the LSO to address systemic racism in the legal profession. The CCLA also recognizes that more work and continuous efforts are required for a diverse and inclusive profession.

Yours sincerely,

Rosalind Conway
President, County of Carleton Law Association