The British Columbia Supreme Court has ruled that the Simon Fraser University (SFU) faculty association acted within its authority when it passed resolutions condemning Israel's actions in Gaza and calling for the university to divest from arms manufacturers. The court's decision, released on Tuesday, supports the faculty association's stance taken last year, which faced opposition from some members who argued that such political positions were outside the association's intended purpose.

The resolutions included detailed introductions discussing Israel's "unrelenting assault" on Gaza, the casualties among Palestinians, and the university's financial ties to weapons manufacturers. These topics were described as having been "vigorously debated" among the faculty association's members.

Opponents of the resolutions contended that while faculty members are free to express political views individually, the faculty association should limit its actions to issues relevant to the university campus or local region. However, the court noted that the faculty association had previously passed other political resolutions without challenge. These included protests against the arrest and torture of a Uruguayan professor, the oppressive regime of Augusto Pinochet in Chile, and the treatment of academics in the former Soviet Union, as well as resolutions addressing the Trans Mountain pipeline and climate change.

Justice Francesca Marzari stated in her ruling that the petitioners did not successfully demonstrate that the resolutions regarding Gaza and divestment were inappropriate. She emphasized that the faculty association's stated purposes are "worded broadly and without the limitations asserted" by the dissenting members. This ruling reinforces the faculty association's ability to engage in political discourse as part of its mission.