The Justice Centre shares your concern about mandating vaccines on university campuses. Our legal team is considering commencing a Charter application against a community college in Ontario which, if successful, may result in a change in policy at universities as well.
Based on caselaw which applies the Charter to colleges but not universities, we are prioritizing a constitutional challenge to a college’s vaccine mandate to set a beneficial precedent.
In the meantime, we suggest that students explore whether any exemptions under the Ontario Human Rights Code are applicable (such as creed, medical condition or religious belief preventing vaccination), or if rapid testing in lieu of the vaccine is available.
We also encourage you to express your concerns in writing to the Board of Governors of the university. We encourage you to explore options such as distance or online learning until these mandates can be challenged.
If you are dealing with a situation where a College is mandating vaccines without exemptions, please submit a case to see if the Justice Centre has the capacity to assist you.