Ontario Courts Requiring Pronoun Declaration
Ontario courts will now be asking people for their pronouns when they show up for hearings.
The directive was issued by Chief Justice Sharon Nicklas of the Ontario Court of Justice.
“If counsel does not provide this information in their introduction, they may be invited by a court clerk to provide this information.”
The policy is similar to one developed in British Columbia in December 2020.
The B.C. release said prior practice was for parties or lawyers to introduce themselves and spell their last name.
“In the new Notice, the Court is asking people to state their name, title (sometimes called “salutation”), and pronouns to be used in the proceeding, and for lawyers to provide this information for their clients.”
The B.C. court said the new policy marked a “shift in professional practice.”
“Using incorrect gendered language for a party or lawyer in court can cause uncomfortable tension and distract them from the proceedings that all participants should be free to concentrate on,” the release said. “The court hopes its new notice will contribute to a culture that is inclusive and respectful of everyone.”
The increasing use of pronouns comes after Canada became the first country to collect and release census information on transgender and non-binary individuals, according to Statistics Canada.
The government said 59,460 Canadians identify as transgender, and 41,355 said they were non-binary, representing about 0.33 percent of the population in the age group 15 and older.
