But now that Convocation’s members are up for re-election, it is once again a “live issue,” says bencher candidate D. Jared Brown, lead counsel at Brown Litigation in Toronto. He says he would like to reintroduce the debate around the statement of principles if elected to Convocation.

Brown says that a group who shares his concerns about the statement of principles “coalesced” around the issue and that his personal plans to run for bencher crystallized in the fall of last year.

“They come from a very diverse and varied background in terms of who they are, what they are, how they think. The ends of the political spectrum are represented comprehensively. Through those conversations, many of those same people, including myself, have decided to put our names forward for election to bencher,” says Brown.

“I can’t speak for everyone running, but I can tell you there is some unity that the law society has strayed from the path. It ought to be returned to being a public interest regulator, and that would include getting away from the mandated and compelled values test that is the statement of principles.”

It is not yet clear who will be included in the official “slate” mentioned by the website. At least 13 of the 146 licensees running for bencher have also publicly stated their opposition to the statement of principles through StopSOP.