On January 27th, 2023 the Society’s Council approved amendments to the Code of Professional Conduct. The amendments relate to discrimination, harassment, and ex parte communication.
The amendments to our Code of Professional Conduct reflect amendments made by the Federation of Law Societies of Canada to the Model Code of Conduct, which seeks to harmonize, as much as possible, the ethical and professional conduct standards for the legal profession in Canada.
The Society’s Code of Professional Conduct Committee (CPCC) provided feedback from our members to the Federation of Law Societies during consultations in 2020 and 2021. At the recommendation of the CPCC, Council approved these amendments during their January meeting, together with adjustments to terminology informed by the recommendations of the Gender Equity Committee.
Members are advised to familiarize themselves with these amendments. Resource materials to assist the membership in understanding their obligations are being prepared. The Society will provide an update when they are available.