Canadian Lawyer is very concerned about the reaction from some members of the bar to the cover of our September issue. We regret the image has been interpreted in a way that was never our intention.
The intent of the cover was to illustrate a woman waiting and having to bide her time trying to figure out the password or key to get through a locked door, consistent with the theme of the article. The figure behind the door with a speakeasy-type slider is in the shadows, representing the gatekeeper of the establishment/old order looking askew at this person trying to break the code and get into the private club (ie: the bench).
Canadian Lawyer is well known for our promotion and support of diversity issues in the profession and in no way was the image on the cover meant to harken back to old stereotypes or implied threats of danger. The door represents the barrier to a private club and not a prison cell showing “an apparently incarcerated black man glaring at a white woman,” as some readers have suggested.
That said, Canadian Lawyer sincerely regrets that the image was seen as reinforcing negative stereotypes. We do appreciate the input of our readers and value all opinions. Going forward, the editorial team will take all possible steps to be more sensitive and aware of how images may be interpreted.
Yours truly,
Gail J. Cohen
Editor in Chief
