B.C. law society considers Christian law school’s anti same-sex policy

VANCOUVER – The Law Society of B.C. is debating whether to approve a Christian university’s law school, which is under scrutiny because of its policy toward gays and lesbians.

Trinity Western University in Langley, B.C., wants to open a law school in 2016.

The plan has fuelled a campaign encouraging regulators to reject the proposal because students are required to sign a so-called community covenant, which says sexual intimacy should be limited to marriage between a man and a woman.

The law society is debating a motion that would reject the school’s application, with a decision expected later today.

Lawyer Cameron Ward compares the university’s policies to racial segregation in the United States in the 1960s and says he has a duty as a lawyer to oppose the school.

Another lawyer, David Crossin, says he believes the school’s policy is discriminatory and misguided, but that the law means the school’s beliefs must be respected.