The Law Society Of Ontario Just Cancelled Its Bar Exam & Here's Why It's Called Off

Prospective lawyers who were preparing for their bar exams this month will have more study time now, as they are officially cancelled until further notice.

"To protect the public and the integrity of its licensing process, the Law Society has undertaken the decision to cancel the upcoming barrister and solicitor examinations, scheduled to be written from March 8 to 11, and March 22 to 25, respectively," the March 5 announcement from the Law Society of Ontario reads.

The Law Society decided to cancel the upcoming exams after learning that some of the candidates may have seen what was on the exam, with evidence pointing to outsiders being potentially involved with what happened.

About 1,100 candidates were expected to write their online exams during this period beginning on Tuesday.

"We appreciate that this decision is upsetting news to those candidates not involved in improper conduct," CEO Diana Miles said.

"However, this is a critical and necessary step to protect the integrity of the licen sing process and the reputation of those candidates not involved. Most importantly, as the regulator of the legal professions it is incumbent upon us to take immediate action to protect the public interest."

So, what will happen to the exams this year?

Well, they will be rescheduled ASAP after extra measures have been laid in place in order to "further strengthen the delivery of licensing examinations."

Anyone affected by these cancellations can expect to receive more information via their online accounts.

A team of external investigators is looking into the matter, and they will review candidates who have already taken the exam and may have also seen what was on the exam before writing the test.

What will happen next about the exam will depend on what is found in the investigation.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.