Legal Cases

28 Jan 2015 Praise God! We won! Judge rules in favour of TWU

We have great news to share - Justice Campbell from the Nova Scotia Supreme Court has ruled in favour of Trinity Western University and religious freedom! During our fall tour and through our newsletters, we had asked you to pray for the court hearing in Halifax that took place December 16-19 and for wisdom for Justice Campbell. God has answered our prayers. Thanks and praise to Him alone! This case was fundamentally about religious freedom and whether a private Christian school had the freedom to establish a law school rooted in Christian principles. Furthermore, the principle being advanced by those opposed to TWU's law school was that if you belong to a community that holds its members to a Biblical lifestyle standard, then you will be denied equal access to the public square. The NSBS attempted to refuse graduates from the proposed law society from practicing law in Nova Scotia, arguing that recognizing the TWU law school as a valid law school would "send a clear signal to citizens that discrimination is acceptable and justifiable." The irony of the NSBS arguments was that the NSBS itself was actually perpetuating discrimination. For more on this case, click here. To read the full 137-page decision of Justice Cambell, click here. To read our press release click here. We are very thankful for the decision today. It corrects the false premise that members of Christian communities are somehow less suitable for public engagement because of our worldview. This decision opens the door to the public square for members of Canada's churches. As Justice Campbell wrote at para. 271, "The discomforting truth is that religions with views that many Canadians find incomprehensible or offensive abound in a liberal and multicultural society. The law protects them and must carve out a place not only where they can exist but flourish."

10 Jan 2015 Some good news on the TWU front

Today, CBC News reports that the Law Society of New Brunswick has upheld their decision to recognize Trinity Western University's Christian law school. It seems the lawyers who sit on the Law Society of New Brunswick have much more courage and fortitude than the lawyers who sit on the Law Society of BC. Both Law Societies had once approved TWU and both faced a backlash from bigoted lawyers in their provinces followed by an overwhelming referendum to reverse their decisions. In the face of pushback, BC's Law Society demonstrated cowardice...

18 Dec 2014 ARPA’s oral arguments in the TWU case

Where can you find references to The Princess Bride, mutant organisms, the supremacy of God, swords and shields, and the imago Dei all in one place? Check out ARPA Canada's legal counsel's oral submissions to the Nova Scotia Supreme Court yesterday where, in just 17 minutes, he accomplished all that. A copy of André Schutten's speaking notes are attached at the bottom of this article, and a video of his presentation to the Court can be found at this link here. (Just select the video link under the player for December...

17 Dec 2014 Trinity Western University: FAQ

The Trinity Western University (TWU) case is not a simple prosecutor-defendant case that you may be used to seeing on television. It's far more complex and the outcome of this case may have repercussions in Canadian law, outside of the individual courtroom where this case is heard. To help you understand the case we have asked our legal counsel, André Schutten, to explain the TWU case for our readers. Q. First of all, what are some reflections on the hearing last week (December 16-19)? A. My biggest take away from the entire experience was how wonderful it is to be part of a large community that believes in the power of prayer. Praise God for his goodness and providential care! I received countless emails, text messages, phone calls and Facebook messages recounting the prayers being lifted up for this case. We know God hears our prayers, and I can report that the hearing went well. The judge was very prepared and asked good questions of all the lawyers. We look forward to seeing his judgment released in the coming months. In the meantime, please continue to pray for Justice Campbell, that he receives all the wisdom and discernment to rule justly and righteously.

16 Dec 2014 TWU update ahead of Nova Scotia court intervention

Click here to watch a video update from ARPA's legal counsel who flew to Nova Scotia today ahead of the court case scheduled to begin tomorrow. ARPA Canada is intervening in the case to be heard at the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia on behalf of those who are concerned about the impact this case will have on religious freedom. You can learn more about our intervention under Legal Action on our website....