B.C. university president to speak at Nova Scotia bar society on same-sex policy

HALIFAX – The president of a British Columbia university that has sparked controversy over its policy that prohibits same-sex intimacy is scheduled to speak before Nova Scotia’s bar society today.

The Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society is holding hearings to determine whether it should recognize degrees from Trinity Western University.

The faith-based school based in Langley, B.C., wants to open a law school in 2016.

Last month, the society heard from lawyers, legal experts and others, most of whom urged it to deny accreditation to the school because of a policy they say is discriminatory.

Trinity Western University has said it welcomes students without discrimination and its community covenant requires students, faculty and staff to respect Christian values.

University president Bob Kuhn said last month it would send a discouraging signal to the legal community if Nova Scotia did not recognize law degrees from his school on the basis of its religious beliefs.

In December, the Federation of Law Societies of Canada gave Trinity Western University preliminary approval for its law school program and said it was up to provincial law societies to decide whether to recognize degrees from the school.

The Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society is the first legal group in the country to hold such a forum.

The society’s executive committee will have a report and recommendation for its council to consider on April 25.