Proposed changes respond to Truth and Reconciliation Commission call to action on cultural training
The Law Society of British Columbia will conduct a second consultation session this Sept. 26, to gather feedback on proposed amendments to the Federation of Law Societies of Canada’s Model Code of Professional Conduct to promote truth and reconciliation efforts.
The Federation’s Model Code Standing Committee drafted these suggested Model Code amendments, which aim to respond to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Call to Action 27.
This call to action emphasizes the need for cultural competency training for lawyers, including skills-based training to advance intercultural competency, conflict resolution, human rights, and anti-racism within the legal profession.
Specifically, the call to action urges the Federation to ensure that lawyers receive appropriate training on the history and legacy of residential schools, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, treaties and Aboriginal rights, Indigenous law, and Aboriginal-Crown relations.
The proposed amendments to the Model Code seek to establish a baseline level of knowledge and communication skills that all lawyers should have in the identified areas.
For this initiative, the BC Law Society is currently working closely with its Truth and Reconciliation Advisory Committee, said a news release of the law society.
According to the news release, the session will feature Vicki George, the law society’s senior advisor for Indigenous engagement, and Claire Marchant, its director for policy and practice. They will give participants an overview of the suggested amendments and will facilitate the discussion.
The consultation will take place online via Zoom from 12–1:30 p.m. (PDT) on Sept. 26, said the news release. Those interested in participating can register on Eventbrite’s webpage.
Standing committee’s work
The consultation report of the Federation’s Model Code Standing Committee, which details the amendments proposed, noted that numerous law societies in Canada have already put in place educational requirements aiming to address Call to Action 27.
The Standing Committee said that it focused its work on the Canadian legal profession’s ethical and professional obligations to educate themselves on the issues underlying the call to action to ensure that they can be better advocates for their clients and to benefit the public in general.
The Standing Committee considered whether the Model Code should include additional rules and commentary specifically addressing reconciliation and more generally advancing cultural awareness within the legal profession. It also weighed whether the Model Code should be revised to ensure alignment with the additional rules and commentary being considered.
