The Law Society of Ontario has cancelled the licensing examinations that were to be written this month as  “examination content has been improperly accessed” and due to “potential involvement of third parties in this activity”.

At the same time, Homewood Health, which delivers a wide range of health and wellness services across Canada, advised of a cyber security incident impacting its IT systems. According to Lawpro, “Homewood Health is contracted as an independent third-party provider to deliver the Member Assistance Program (MAP) which provides health, well-being and a variety of counselling services to licensees, licensing candidates, law and paralegal students, members of the judiciary, and their families.” All of which is a reminder that cyber security should now be a leading concern for all lawyers (see previous blog “Avoiding the Nightmare”).

But what about the approximately 1100 candidates who were set to write online examinations that are now cancelled, and the upsetting news to those candidates not involved in improper conduct? I decided to do some research on any previous compromised examinations and did not have success. But I found an interesting Law Society of Upper Canada report in the Globe and Mail from September 6, 1849. Back then, a total of five students were admitted to the Society as “Students of the Law.” They were advised that, in part, “the examination for admission, shall, until further notice, be in the following books, …. In Homer, first book of Iliad, …in Mathematics (Euclid, first, second, third, fourth, and sixth books) … Hind’s Algebra, Metaphysics (Walker’s and Whately’s Logic, and Locke’s Essay on the Human Understanding) Herschell’s  Astronomy, ….and such works in Ancient and Modern Geography and History as the Candidates may have read.” It was a different time then and a completely different approach to the syllabus. What is likely still the same today is the anxiety of writing exams. Best wishes to all students of the law in their examinations (whenever they are eventually written)!

James Jacuta