Lawyer, law society settle profiling complaint
Selwyn Pieters reaches ‘amicable’ agreement after being refused entry to Law Society of Upper Canada headquarters
Ontario’s legal regulator has come to an “amicable” resolution in the case of a Black lawyer who alleged he was racially profiled when he was denied entry to the Law Society of Upper Canada’s headquarters.
Toronto lawyer Selwyn Pieters alleged in his Human Rights Tribunal complaint that he and a Black student were visiting the headquarters at Osgoode Hall in July 2016 when a security guard demanded to see his law society identity card, while white people both before and after the incident were buzzed in without scrutiny.
When his ID card turned out to be expired, the guard refused to allow them entry, despite protocol that calls for a database check that would have confirmed his status, Pieters said last year.
On Tuesday, Pieters stood next to law society lawyer Bill Anderson, who read a statement to reporters outside the Human Rights Tribunal.
Anderson said “after a comprehensive review of the situation by the parties,” it was apparent there was a lack of information about entrance protocols at Osgoode Hall as well as with identification cards.
The law society has committed to directly notify all licensees, as well as post information online, about the entrance rules. “The Law Society respects Mr. Pieters’ efforts to bring public attention to the issues of anti-Black racism and racial profiling,” the statement said.
Anderson made clear that the law society was not admitting that Pieters was racially profiled.
Pieters told reporters he was happy the case had been resolved.