The Law Society of Alberta will not re-establish its equity, diversity, and inclusion (DEI) committee for 2026 following the province’s passage of the so-called “Peterson law,” which bars professional regulators from giving individuals “adverse or preferential” treatment to achieve DEI goals.LSA spokesperson Colin Brandt confirmed the decision to Canadian Lawyer, saying benchers opted not to continue the standalone committee in order to comply with the Regulated Professions Neutrality Act, passed in December but not yet in force. Other DEI initiatives will instead be handled through the regulator’s remaining strategic committees, though Brandt would not elaborate on what those initiatives might include.The RPNA, introduced in November and dubbed the “Peterson law” by Premier Danielle Smith, was prompted by Ontario psychologist Jordan Peterson’s legal challenge to mandatory training requirements imposed by his professional regulator. The law shields regulated professionals from discipline for expressive conduct while off-duty — except for certain misconduct — and prohibits regulators from mandating training unrelated to professional competence or ethics, such as unconscious bias, cultural competency, or DEI courses. It also bars regulators from giving preferential or adverse treatment to meet diversity goals.Legal experts expressed surprise at the LSA’s move. Jon Rossall, senior counsel at McLennan Ross LLP, said the DEI committee’s mandate involved examining issues like lawyer retention, cultural competency, and barriers to diversity, without imposing any compulsory measures on licensees. “It’s all examining and considering and developing recommendations,” he said. “Nothing very threatening. I’m a little shocked… that the law society would take such a dramatic response by simply disbanding the committee.”.Edmonton lawyer Koren Lightning said the move was disappointing but not unexpected, contrasting it with the Law Society of Ontario, which recently required licensees to complete Indigenous cultural training. Lightning, the LSA’s former liaison for indigenous initiatives, helped organize mandatory training programs and conferences aimed at reconciliation. “I know how proud people were of the work we did in Alberta around reconciliation,” she said. “It’s just disappointing that this is the result.”The LSA’s Indigenous cultural competency course, mandatory since 2021, remains in place, though Brandt did not clarify whether it will continue under the new law.
