Law Society of Alberta CPD rules upheld
The Alberta Court of King’s Bench has dismissed a legal challenge against the Law Society of Alberta (LSA) concerning new continuing professional development (CPD) rules and changes to its Code of Conduct. The plaintiff had argued that LSA’s rules—specifically rules 67.2-67.4 about CPD, a CPD tool, a professional development profile identifying nine competency domains, and mandatory Indigenous cultural competency training through an online course—exceeded the authority granted by Alberta’s Legal Profession Act. The plaintiff further claimed these changes violated rights under sections 2(a) and 2(b) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (freedom of conscience/religion, thought, belief, and expression). The Court held that the CPD requirements and the amended Code were within the LSA’s statutory authority, aligned with relevant legislation, and in pursuit of public interest goals. It also found no infringement of the Charter rights claimed by the challenger. An appeal is under consideration.