STANDARD-BEARER AND ETHICS CHAMPION

The CBA Code of Professional Conduct, first adopted in 1920, has played an integral role in the Canadian legal profession. For decades, it was the model used by Canadian law societies establishing rules to govern the ethical standards for lawyers in their jurisdictions.

In this era of globalized law practice and increased mobility between Canadian jurisdictions, a common set of conduct rules for all Canadian lawyers is essential. Canadian law societies in all common law jurisdictions have now adopted codes in substantial compliance with the Federation of Law Societies (FLSC) of Canada’s Model Code of Professional Conduct. The CBA Council approved a resolution to discontinue the CBA Code once no Canadian law society uses it or incorporates it. The 2009 CBA Code of Professional Conduct was retired in April 2019 and remains online for research purposes only.

We are committed to harmonized standards for legal ethics and professional conduct, and are pleased to provide ongoing input to the FLSC to improve its Model Code.

We also contribute to high ethical standards in the legal profession through interventions in key court cases.

Access professional codes from across Canada on the Federation of Law Societies of Canada  website.