Ryerson CSR Institute Session: Legislating CSR - Learning from the Swiss Referendum Experience - In conversation with Professor Thomas Beschorner

Legal compliance has long been considered a baseline requirement for firms to be viewed as socially responsible. In this sense, the many laws already in place to regulate business treatment of workers, the consumer, the environment, and communities are nothing new. What is more novel are projects to have the laws and courts of "jurisdiction A" apply extra-territorially to address alleged business human rights-oriented misconduct taking place in "jurisdiction B", on the grounds that the misconduct in "jurisdiction B" is connected to companies that are headquartered in "jurisdiction A". Through its unique referendum process, Switzerland recently explored the possibility of legislating just such a law (the Responsible Business Initiative, or RBI). While the proposal was narrowly defeated, this has meant that instead (due to particular features of the Swiss referendum process), a "comply or explain" type business and human rights information disclosure law will be implemented.

We are very fortunate to have Dr. Thomas Beschorner, Business Ethics Professor at the University of St. Gallen, to be our "in conversation" guest, as he is ideally positioned to explain the Swiss referendum process, the RBI referendum proposal, the counter-proposals, results of the referendum, and the broader implications for Switzerland, and beyond. Among other things, Dr. Beschorner is the Founder and Director of the "Transatlantic Doctoral Academy on Corporate Responsibility (TADA)," the Founder and co-Editor of the 'Journal for Business, Economics and Ethics,' and the Director of the Institute for Business Ethics at the University of St. Gallen. Moderating the session will be Dr. Kernaghan Webb, Director of the Ryerson CSR Institute and a Law and Business professor in Ryerson University's Ted Rogers School of Management who is also cross appointed to the Law Faculty.

This session is co-sponsored by the Ryerson Corporate Social Responsibility Student Association, the Ryerson Commerce and Government Association, and the Ryerson Law and Business Student Association. Support for the "In conversation" sessions from the Trade Commissioner Service of Global Affairs Canada is also gratefully acknowledged.