LSUC Targets Racism in the Legal Profession

BY LARA FRIEDMAN AND RACHEL SPENCE 

"Effective responses to racial discrimination and racial profiling start with acknowledging that racism exists." 18 — Ontario Human Rights Commission."

The Law Society of Upper Canada recently published a report, “Working Together for Change: Strategies to Address Issues of Systemic Racism in the Legal Professions," 

The strategic framework [proposed by the Report] is the culmination of thorough study and province-wide consultations, showing that racialized lawyers and paralegals face longstanding and significant challenges at all stages of their legal careers.

The Report recommends 13 strategic initiatives, including the following; 

1. Reinforcing Professional Obligations 
2. Diversity and Inclusion Project 
3. The Adoption of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Principles and Practices 
4. Measuring Progress through Quantitative Analysis 
5. Measuring Progress through Qualitative Analysis 
6. Inclusion Index 
7. Repeat Challenges Faced by Racialized Licensees Project Inclusion Survey the Law 
8. Progressive Compliance Measures 
9. Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Programs on Topics of Equality and Inclusion in the Professions 
10. The Licensing Process 
11. Building Communities of Support
12. Addressing Complaints of Systemic Discrimination 
13. Leading by Example 

The Law Society also calls for action in five areas, as follows;

1. Accelerating a culture shift
2. Measuring progress 
3. Educating for change 
4. Implementing supports 
5. Leading by example 

To learn more about this, please read the article published by The Law Society of Upper Canada.

Let us work together to make racism a thing of the past!

- Lara Friedman and Rachel Spence

Visit our Toronto Law Office website: www.wiselaw.net

"Young, Handsome and Suntanned.”

America may have taken a gigatic racial leap forward this week. The rest of the world, apparently, still has a way to go.

By way of illustration, see this New York Times report on comments by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

Then there is Austrian television personality Klaus Emmerich, who has ignited a controversy of his own over "racist comments about Barack Obama, the US president-elect."

- Garry J. Wise, Toronto

Visit our Toronto Law Firm website: www.wiselaw.net

EMPLOYMENT LAW • CIVIL LITIGATION • WILLS AND ESTATES • FAMILY LAW & DIVORCE

ORIGINALLY POSTED AT WISE LAW BLOG • SUBSCRIBE TO WISE LAW BLOG

The Race Card in America

See the evidence here. It is appalling.

Beyond that, I have no interest in describing it.

(Source: Seeing the Forest)

.......

UPDATE:

The offending graphic has been removed for "objectionable content" from its original post location, but has been reproduced and preserved here (at the same weblog) along with an "explanation" for its "removal."

(Even though it hasn't really been removed)

The "explanation," it should be noted, includes a demand that those who objected to the graphic "talk about... Obama’s long-standing ties to terrorists and political extremists."

Isn't it reassuring to know that the nuts are now policing the nuts for excessive nuttiness?

- Garry J. Wise, Toronto

Visit our Toronto Law Firm website: www.wiselaw.net

EMPLOYMENT LAW • CIVIL LITIGATION • WILLS AND ESTATES • FAMILY LAW & DIVORCE

ORIGINALLY POSTED AT WISE LAW BLOG • SUBSCRIBE TO WISE LAW BLOG

On Purple Fingers and Bare-Faced Racism

Stephen Harper's federal government has introduced legislation that will require veiled Muslim women to reveal their faces prior to voting.

Dave at Galloping Beaver calls it bare-faced racism. I agree.

Not so long ago, on January 20, 2005, the women of Iraq turned out for a historic vote, many veiled, all purple-fingered. It was hailed by conservatives at the time as a monumental victory for democracy and women's rights in the Middle East.

Purple fingers and heady moments, indeed.

Apparently those are long forgotten, as this proposed legislation gives Canadian Muslim women the proverbial middle finger.

Once again, a solution without a problem.

Pandering to xenophobia is not the Canadian way.

Stephane Dion should delay this bill. And then defeat it.

CBC has the story:

The Conservative government introduced legislation Friday to force all voters — including veiled Muslim women — to show their faces for identification before being allowed to vote in federal elections.

Conservative House leader Peter Van Loan introduced the proposed amendment to the Canada Elections Act, which was promised in the Tories' Oct. 16 throne speech.
The proposed amendment makes a limited exception for any voter whose face is swathed in bandages due to surgery or some other medical reason.

The Tories were furious over a decision by Elections Canada to allow Muslim women to vote with their faces covered by burkas or niqabs during three Quebec byelections in September.

"During the recent byelections in Quebec, the government made it clear that we disagreed with the decision by Elections Canada to allow people to vote while concealing their face," Van Loan said.

"That is why … we committed to introducing legislation to confirm the visual identification of voters."

- Garry J. Wise, Toronto

Visit our Toronto Law Firm website: www.wiselaw.net

EMPLOYMENT LAW • CIVIL LITIGATION • WILLS AND ESTATES • FAMILY LAW & DIVORCE