`Inclusive' titles now required in courts

Lawyers and other parties are being required to provide additional information when they introduce themselves at the outset of a court proceeding.

The B.C. Supreme Court and the Provincial Court, the province's trial courts, announced the changes this week in a bid to make the courts more inclusive.

In the past, lawyers and other parties appearing in the courts would introduce themselves by name and provide a spelling of that name, as well as the same information for clients and witnesses.

The new procedure will require these parties to state their name, title and the pronouns they would like used during proceedings.

Titles refer to whether someone wants to be known as Mr., Ms., Mx. or Counsel, with Mx. seen as a gender-neutral salutation or title. Pronouns to be used would include he/ him, she/ her and they/them.

“If a party or lawyer does not provide this information in their introduction, they will be prompted by a court clerk to do so,” says a Provincial Court news release. The release says the information is important to improve the experiences within the legal system for gender-diverse parties and lawyers and identify correct pronouns and forms of address by adopting one practice that applies equally to all.

“Using incorrect gendered language for a party or lawyer in court can cause uncomfortable tension and distract them from the proceedings that all participants should be free to concentrate on.”

Lisa Nevens, co-chair of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Community of the Canadian Bar Association (B.C. branch), helped provide input to the courts for the changes.

“I think it's a great initiative and a significant development for B.C. courts,” she said Thursday. “Folks who are gender-diverse, who are trans, who are nonbinary, won't have to worry about whether or not their identities are going to be properly recognized when they are entered into that legal system.”

Since October 2019, the B.C. Court of Appeal has required that appellants, respondents and counsel advise the court clerk of their preferred titles.