Monday, August 20, 2018

LAWYERS FILE COMPLAINT OVER SEX-ED CURRICULUM

Two Toronto lawyers will be filing a complaint with the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal on behalf of families who oppose the plan by the provincial government to change sexual education in schools across the province.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has indicated that the curriculum — which was updated by the provincial Liberal government in 2015 — will be scrapped and by September will revert to a 1998 version of a health and physical education curriculum.

The lawyers are acting on behalf of more than six families who have LGBTQ children, says lawyer Marcus McCann, and the lead applicant is an 11-year-old transgender girl whose identity is being kept anonymous. 

“The 2015 curriculum requires teachers across the province to discuss issues such as sexual consent, gay, bisexual and lesbian sexuality, gender expression and gender identity.

“The exclusion of this content puts young people at risk,” says McCann, a lawyer with Symes Street & Millard Barristers and Solicitors in Toronto.

Mika Imai, an associate at the same firm, is acting with McCann on the matter and says the lawyers will be seeking to “have the matter heard on an expedited basis.”

REAL ESTATE LAWYERS JOIN GOWLING WLG

Pamela Green and Sawsan Selwyn joined Gowling WLG’s national real estate group in Hamilton, Ont., the firm announced on Aug. 9.

Green will be a partner and Selwyn will be an associate, the firm said. Selwyn represents sellers, purchasers, lenders, real estate developers, REITS and other real estate investors in commercial real estate transactions, according to Gowling’s announcement. Green’s practice includes land development and planning, real estate acquisition, disposition and financing, mortgage remedies, real estate disputes and general corporate commercial matters, the firm said.

TLA EVENT

The Toronto Lawyers Association is hosting an event on Oct. 17, from 5:15 p.m. to 7:20 p.m. The 8th Annual Current Topics in Ethics & Professionalism: Do Lawyers Have an Ethical Obligation to Defend the Unpopular? features Saron Gebresellassi, owner and partner at Saron Legal PC, Carol Hansell, senior partner at Hansell LLP, Danielle Robitaille, partner at Henein Hutchison LLP, and Jaime Watt, executive chairman of Navigator Ltd.

It will be moderated by lawyer Philip Slayton. More information is available at tlaonline.ca.

LAW TIMES POLL

The new Ontario provincial government introduced legislation last month to kill a major wind turbine project in Prince Edward County, revoking any contracts between the company and related parties, extinguishing any existing proceedings and preventing future proceedings against the Crown. Law Times asked readers whether they agreed with the move to axe the project. About 69 per cent of respondents disagreed with the termination of the project, saying it should continue as planned. About 31 per cent of readers agreed with the new government’s decision and that it was the right move to follow through swiftly on a campaign promise.