Advocacy & Justice
1. Note that I do a lot of advocacy on X and YouTube under the handle @LionAdvocacy. The channel started primarily in response to the very unfortunate things I personally witnessed during Covid, some in my capacity as a lawyer advising inquiries into employee/employer rights and obligations, and some in my capacity as an ordinary citizen.
2. My social media channels have expanded into “raising awareness of important legal, political and social issues; validate or challenge various concerns and perspectives; and promote the rule of law using the force of reason. And perhaps to occasionally express a random opinion…”
3. Despite my public advocacy, nothing I discuss publicly would ever expose privileged or confidential information. Furthermore, I generally do not discuss any personal or private matters on social media, regardless of how they come to my attention.
4. Some people may wonder if my advocacy and/or the information I acquire from people who reach out to me, could put me in a conflict of interest. The issue may come up, for example, if someone reaches out to me who is an employee of a corporation for whom I have provided legal services.
5. To avoid this conflict, as a general rule I do not offer legal advice or assist anyone who tries to implement vaccine mandates for their employees, in particular for the Covid-19 vaccine. I would generally refer any such matter to another lawyer, or the Law Society Referral Service. I would make this referral because my legal advice would invariably be the same in pretty much every case: follow the principles set out in the Immunization of School Pupils Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. I.1. Meaning, I would advise the employer that they can ask the employee to get vaccinated, but if the employee had a religious, medical, or philosophical objection to getting vaccinated, I would simply advise the employer to accept such declaration by the employee.
6. My advocacy and legal practice are intertwined with the Oath I took back in 2005, set out in the Law Society of Ontario’s By-Law 4, Section 21(1), which I’ve set out below in paragraph 7 (and bolded the relevant provisions).
7. What I saw during Covid was that this Oath would tested in ways that could not have been anticipated in 2005, especially in regards to the treatment of those who opted not to take the Covid vaccine. When I saw that our various courts (including the Supreme Court of Canada) would be taking positions (both in written decision, and in statements made to the media) that, in my view, were inconsistent with the Oath we took as lawyers, I realized that the legal system was not properly equipped to handle a pandemic and the social, moral, and legal issues that would come up. Accordingly, I reasoned that (social)/media and public advocacy was a better channel to communicate my grievances, honour my Oath, and effect positive change.
I … accept the honour and privilege, duty and responsibility of practising law as a barrister and solicitor in the Province of Ontario. I shall protect and defend the rights and interests of such persons as may employ me. I shall conduct all cases faithfully and to the best of my ability. I shall neglect no one’s interest and shall faithfully serve and diligently represent the best interests of my client. I shall not refuse causes of complaint reasonably founded, nor shall I promote suits upon frivolous pretences. I shall not pervert the law to favour or prejudice any one, but in all things I shall conduct myself honestly and with integrity and civility. I shall seek to ensure access to justice and access to legal services. I shall seek to improve the administration of justice. I shall champion the rule of law and safeguard the rights and freedoms of all persons. I shall strictly observe and uphold the ethical standards that govern my profession. All this I do swear or affirm to observe and perform to the best of my knowledge and ability.
8. Despite my occasional major grievance with various leaders in positions of power (politically or financially), the downtrodden who have lost everything, or those who remain anonymous, I have (hopefully) always maintained and commit to maintaining an unwavering level of respect for everyone. In that regard, I commit to the following:
a. Not calling people names;
b. Note using offensive language;
c. Not blocking someone simply because I disagree with them or find their comments annoying or offensive;
d. Not sharing unverified information that could hurt someone financially.