September 25, 2024 | Saskatoon StarPhoenix via UVic News
UR Pride has filed a legal challenge against Saskatchewan’s new policy requiring parental consent for students under 16 to use their preferred names and pronouns at school. They argue this policy violates two rights listed in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, specifically the right to equality and the right to security of the person. Legal experts, such as Florence Ashley, suggest this case could lead to a prolonged legal battle and may eventually reach the Supreme Court. The case will likely focus on the policy’s purpose, development process, and supporting evidence.
Rebecca Johnson, a professor at the Faculty of Law, University of Victoria, agrees with other experts that the case could be persistent. Johnson highlights that the legal battle touches on broader societal issues, such as identity and autonomy, and suggests that even a court decision might not resolve the underlying societal debates.
Dr. Johnson also serves as the Associate Director of the Indigenous Law Research Unit (ILRU), and is the Director of the Faculty of Law Graduate Program. Her work is interdisciplinary, covering areas such as “storied pedagogy, law-and-film, Indigenous legal methodologies, judicial dissent, and critical feminisms.” In the community, Johnson is deeply involved in initiatives related to Indigenous law. She collaborates on projects aimed at the “recovery, revitalization, and re-articulation of Indigenous laws.”
Dr. Johnson has a number of articles and videos openly available, such as a presentation on PhD Candidacy exams and their value. If you are interested in watching this or reading some of Johnson’s other works, you can find them and more on our institutional repository UVicSpace.
