The lawyers have spoken: Trinity Western University’s proposed law school shouldn’t be approved in B.C.
The province’s law society held a referendum this month on whether to recognize graduates from the Langley evangelical Christian school’s long-planned law faculty, which is set to open in 2016.
Members voted 5,951 to 2,088 against TWU.
University spokesman Guy Saffold issued a statement shortly after the results were released saying TWU is “disappointed” with the vote.
“Trinity Western believes in diversity and the rights of all Canadians to their personal beliefs and values. A person’s ability to study and practise the law should not be restricted by their faith,” Saffold said.
Bar associations in Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia have already chosen to reject TWU students, citing the university’s controversial ban on gay sex.
All students and staff who attend TWU have to sign a covenant promising not to engage in sexual intimacy that “violates the sacredness of marriage between a man and a woman.”
The rule effectively asks gay students, even those who are married, to refrain from sex with their partners.
The Law Society of B.C. said the referendum results would be binding if one-third of its 14,530 members voted, and it was approved by a two-thirds margin.
Both requirements appear to have been met.
The society’s board, or benchers, is set to review the results at a meeting Friday, and TWU urged it not to act on them.
“The Benchers still have the opportunity to do the right thing, and we are encouraging them to think very carefully before passing any resolution against TWU,” Saffold said.
