Eye On Regulation

the scenario

Gender-Inclusive Language and Respectful Forms of Address

We take for granted at the opening of a tribunal hearing or court application that we will be asked to introduce ourselves, spell our name for the record and state our role in the hearing. We ask witnesses if they wish to be sworn or affirmed and whether we are pronouncing their name correctly. These respectful forms of address are almost done without thinking. However, when it comes to people's gender – we often rely on assumptions based on their name, appearance or voice.

Courts in Canada, the US, and various tribunals have developed protocols to help tribunal members, and the parties who appear before them, understand expectations when introducing themselves and their witnesses.