Canadian Bar Association President Bianca Kratt, KC and Canadian Bar Association, BC Branch President Patricia Blair issued the following statement in response to today’s BC Supreme Court decision about the Legal Professions Act:
The Canadian Bar Association intervened in this case to defend the independence of the legal profession. As we review the court’s reasons, we remain committed to vigorously defending the independence of the bar, and to engaging constructively on regulatory frameworks that protect Canadians’ confidence in a legal profession free of state control.
When Canadians seek legal counsel, they should be confident that their lawyer’s advice is wholly independent of government preferences or pressure. Lawyers must be answerable to their clients, their professional obligations, and the courts – not to the state.
On behalf of the CBA’s 40,000 members, we extend our sincere gratitude to the McCarthy Tétrault team of Michael A. Feder, K.C., Connor Bildfell, Lindsay Frame, and Nico Rullmann, who represented us in this matter with skill and dedication.