By Katya Slepian

The B.C. Court of Appeal has ruled that Trinity Western University鈥檚 law school graduates will be allowed to practice law in B.C., despite a community covenant that restricts sexual intimacy to heterosexual marriages.

The Christian university in Langley and the Law Society of B.C. have been locked in a legal battle since the law society decided not to recognize TWU鈥檚 law school in October 2014.

The decision was then reversed by a lower court in late December, spurring an from the society in January 2015.

In their Tuesday decided, the judges said the society's move not to recognize the grads 鈥渨ould limit the engaged rights of freedom of religion in a significantly disproportionate way.鈥�

The judgement also noted that allowing the law school to go ahead would be 鈥渋nsignificant in real terms.鈥�

B.C.鈥檚 highest court ruled in favour of freedom and diversity today鈥攆or TWU, and for all Canadians. Details coming soon.

鈥� Trinity Western (@TrinityWestern)

Similar legal battles over the covenant are playing out in and Nova Scotia, with the Ontario case headed to the Supreme Court of Canada.

The university鈥檚 law school is set to open in September 2018.