New Notice of Motion Seeks to Modify the Statement of Principles

News: A Notice of Motion has been put forward by the main proponents of the SoP, drops the compulsory requirement of the Statement of Principles.

https://lso.ca/news-events/news/latest-news-2019/notice-of-motion-to-2019-annual-general-meeting?fbclid=IwAR3tGw08T_TE2m--CoCJOK5UmFRQLniRl8oU6k4QrSvjgSNr4KGs9MZ6yI0

While some have not wanted to deal with it at all, I have said that the SoP was a categorically different issue than any other because it goes to who we are and what we represent. I have made the argument that it is important to us all, as individuals, paralegals, professionals, as members of our professional association and especially as a members of part of the machinery of government. 

The SoP issue is replete with misconception, faulty reasoning and lack of clarity. It is a reflection a larger discord playing out in the ‘culture wars’ in the society as a whole and has caused acrimony and deep divisions within the profession. The resulting LSO policy is an extremist reaction that goes to attack the very heart of self-perception and personal identity.

I have had the privilege of having many years of academic study in areas to which this topic is directly related. I felt that I had a unique perspective that would help us, as a profession come to a wholistic and rational understanding of its underlying paradigms. So, I made a definitive and public declaration of my opposition to the SoP because I believed it to be disrespectful to licensees’ moral conscience, fundamentally misguided as a public policy and indeed, dangerous to a properly function democracy. With my background and with everything I had come to understand about the issue, if someone like me did not draw a ‘line in the sand’ and publicly oppose what I saw as representing a pernicious malignancy that threatens our fundamental right of free speech, then no one would. 

I ran in this election because I thought I could make a real difference. Much to the chagrin of some that said I was off-base or on the wrong path, I wrote extensively on this topic. With what I hope was a bit of wit and wisdom, verbose as my writing is, I attempted to delineate the arguments against the compelled SoP and clarify the issue. By taking the stand I did, I became a focal point of opposition among paralegals and have been told that I've given inspiration to other to do the same.

With the tabling of this new motion to be introduced at the next Convocation, I think I have made a difference in bringing us to a more cogent, salient and balanced perspective on this controversial issue. This motion represents a softening of an otherwise intolerant and hardline position and brings us closer to more reasoned and unifying institutional philosophy.

The issue is far from settled however, and vigilance is still need to get this finally resolved to a mutually amenable compromise. To that end, I will continue to post little ‘bits and bites’ until election day because we still have to ‘get out the vote’ in order to demonstrate that I am not a lone voice in the wilderness and that opposition to the SoP is real and palpable.

So, I stood up and made a difference. Still, I need your vote to get this to a final resolution. By making an informed and considered choices when you vote, you can stand up and make a real difference too.