The Canadian Bar Association is deeply disturbed by the videotaped killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis and other recent incidents of anti-Black violence in the United States and Canada. The CBA stands in solidarity with those who have peacefully protested police brutality and demanded justice and accountability.
Systemic racism is not just an American problem. Canadians must work to challenge discrimination—including anti-Black racism—that is deeply engrained in Canada’s systems and institutions. These inequalities are apparent in recent incidents of violence and in the disproportionate impact that COVID-19 has had on racialized and Indigenous communities.
The rule of law depends on the public’s trust that laws will be fairly applied and enforced. In Canada and around the world we are falling short of this standard. All lawyers have a role to play in reforming our justice system and working to improve the public’s confidence in it.
The CBA calls on governments and institutions in Canada and beyond to promote equality before and under the law as a fundamental right and denounce all forms of racism.
Vivene Salmon, CBA President