John Trueman
ASSOCIATE
John once aspired to be an architect, but turned to law once he realized that buildings can fall over if architects don’t understand trigonometry. Algebraic deficiencies aside, John became a lawyer to make a difference for people, and he works hard to find just, affordable, and innovative solutions for his clients.
John is a passionate and articulate advocate, appearing in all levels of court, including the Supreme Court of Canada. He maintains a broad civil litigation practice with a focus on employment, professional regulation, administrative law, and appeals. John has a keen interest in information and privacy, and has twice appeared in the BC Court of Appeal advocating for stronger protection of personal information.
Outside of court, John is a candid and thoughtful advisor to his clients. He supports both employers and employees in finding practical solutions to workplace problems. He is particularly adept at helping clients navigate complex government policies and processes. He has assisted physicians, nurses, dentists, veterinarians, and real estate agents in dealing with their regulators.
John contributes to the legal profession as a member of the Ethics and Lawyer Independence Committee of the Law Society of British Columbia. He is the former Vice Chair of the Canadian Bar Association’s Constitutional and Civil Liberties Section. He has spoken at numerous conferences and professional development sessions on topics including constitutional procedure, appellate practice, and legal ethics.
Prior to attending law school at UBC, John spent 14 years implementing the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, the largest class action settlement in Canadian history and a milestone in reconciliation with Canada’s Indigenous peoples. Following law school, John clerked at the Supreme Court of Canada and then worked as junior counsel to the late Joe Arvay, Q.C., one of Canada’s leading public law advocates.
John is active in the community, having served as the Executive Director of Youthquest! Lesbian and Gay Youth Society of British Columbia, and as the Treasurer and Vice Chair of Mole Hill Community Housing Society. John lives with his partner in Vancouver and spends his free time travelling, skiing, and collecting modernist fountain pens. He is not a post-modernist.
Education
JD (UBC, 2018)
Called to the bar of British Columbia (2019)
Recognition
Significant Cases
Frank Dorsey and Ghassan Salah v Attorney General of Canada (under reserve): represented an intervener in the Supreme Court of Canada to defend the ancient writ of habeas corpus as a means of holding prison officials accountable to the rule of law.
Silva v Kensington Community Centre Association, 2025 BCSC 1563: obtained 24 months’ severance and $70,000 in aggravated and punitive damages for a manager who was wrongfully dismissed in the midst of a governance dispute.
Vabuolas v British Columbia (Information and Privacy Commissioner), 2025 BCCA 83: represented the BC Humanist Association to advocate against exempting religious organizations from privacy legislation.
Knezevic v British Columbia (Assessor of Area #01 – Capital), 2024 BCSC 561: represented a property owner in overturning a decision of the Property Assessment Appeal Board concerning the taxation of private managed forest land on Galiano Island.
Mori v Lobb, 2023 BCSC 1159: represented a group of defendants and obtained a stay of proceedings of a civil matter while a related family law trial was ongoing.
T.L. v British Columbia, 2023 BCCA 167: represented the appellant and successfully challenged the constitutionality of a provision of British Columbia’s child protection law that provided social workers with warrantless access to medical records of third parties.
Cepuran v Carlton, 2022 BCCA 76 (factum only): represented the Public Guardian and Trustee in defending the rights of adults not to be put on trial to prove their own capacity.
Southwind v Canada, 2021 SCC 28 (factum only): represented a First Nation intervening in a major case involving the assessment of equitable compensation for the expropriation of reserve lands for public projects.
Patton v British Columbia Farm Industry Review Board, 2021 BCCA 75: represented a respondent and successfully resisted judicial review of a decision of an intermediate appellate tribunal.
Fontaine v Canada (Attorney General), 2020 ONSC 366: represented the Chief Adjudicator and developed a plan for the disposition of administrative records of the largest class action settlement in Canadian history, ensuring the public availability of historical information while protecting personal and privileged documents.
Re South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority (Translink), 2019 BCIPC 12: represented an applicant to obtain a feasibility study for a SkyTrain construction project that had been wrongfully withheld from the public.
Represented and advised a large non-profit organization on the downsizing of its workforce following cancellation of a government contract.
Represented a senior executive dismissed without cause in a specialized industry and negotiated a seven-figure settlement.
Represented homeowners in securing the return of home sale proceeds that had been improperly diverted to a third party.
