J. Donald Mawhinney Lectureship in Professional Ethics

A Healthy Disrespect for the Law

Do jurists owe respect and reverence to the law? Some argue as much, pointing to the legal profession’s unique role within the legal system. This is not an easy conclusion to accept for the many students and lawyers who increasingly view the legal system as an instrument of injustice. In this talk, I argue that disrespect can be an effective tool for challenging injustice and that jurists should entertain a healthy disrespect for the law given the widespread and foundational nature of injustice in the Canadian legal system.

5-6 pm lecture, 6-7 pm reception.

More details to come.

Speaker

Florence Ashley

Florence Ashley is an Assistant Professor at the University of Alberta Faculty of Law and John Dossetor Health Ethics Centre. They hold BCL/JD and LLM degrees from McGill University and an SJD from the University of Toronto, and served as the first openly transfeminine clerk at the Supreme Court of Canada. Florence is the author of Banning Transgender Conversion Practices: A Legal and Policy Analysis (UBC Press, 2022) and Gender/F--king: The Pleasures and Politics of Living in a Gendered Body (CLASH Books, 2024).

The J. Donald Mawhinney Lectureship in Professional Ethics

The J. Donald Mawhinney Lectureship in Professional Ethics was established in honour of J. Donald Mawhinney to recognize his outstanding contributions to British Columbia's legal community, his commitment to legal education and his dedication to practicing with the very highest standard of professional ethics. 2006 was the inaugural J. Donald Mawhinney Lectureship in Professional Ethics. Each year the law school hosts an individual from the judiciary, the practice of law or academia to come to UBC as the J. Donald Mawhinney Lecturer. During the visit, the lecturer presents two lectures, one to students and one to members of the bar, the judiciary and the general public.

This lecture commemorates Mr. Mawhinney's dedication to professional ethics and legal education, and recognizes those whose contributions enabled the Lectureship in Professional Ethics. A special thank you to family, friends and colleagues whose generous contributions have made this lecture possible.

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