A cornucopia of legal awards is set to be handed out by the Canadian Bar Association in the next few days, including the prestigious Walter S. Tarnopolsky Human Rights Award. This honour recognizes a Canadian resident who has made outstanding contributions to human rights, in this country or internationally. It is administrated by the International Commission of Jurists (Canadian Section).
The 2010 winner is Jayne Stoyles, executive director of the Canadian Centre for International Justice and former program director of the Coalition for the International Criminal Court in New York. “Jayne exemplifies all of the qualities the Tarnopolsky award seeks to reward and celebrate,” says Paul D.K. Fraser, Q.C., president of the International Commission of Jurists (Canadian Section). “She brings extraordinary vision, energy and leadership skills to the work of strengthening the protection of universal human rights by improving law, policies and practices in Canada with respect to international justice.”
The award will be presented to Stoyles at noon on Monday at the meeting of the Canadian Judges’ Forum, which happens in conjunction with the CBA’s annual general meeting.
In other awards news:
- Brigadier-General (Ret’d) Ken Watkin, OMM, CD, Q.C., is the recipient of the 2010 President’s Award. The Award recognizes the significant contribution of a Canadian jurist to the legal profession, to the CBA or to the public life of Canada.
- Michele H. Hollins, Q.C, a partner at Dunphy Best Blocksom LLP in Calgary, has been selected as the recipient of the 2010 Louis St-Laurent Award of Excellence. The award honours distinguished and exceptional service that meets the goals and objectives of the Association.
- Constitutional scholar and McGill University law professor Roderick A. Macdonald, has been named the winner of the 2010 Ramon John Hnatyshyn Award for Law in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the law.
- Alicia Myroon, a law student entering her third year at the University of Saskatchewan’s Faculty of Law, has been honoured with the 2010 Edward K. Rowan-Legg Award for her contributions to the CBA as a student member.
- Louise Bélanger-Hardy and Aline Grenon of the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Law, common law section, were named winners of the 2010 Walter Owen Book Prize in recognition of outstanding new contributions to Canadian legal literature.
- The Indigenous Blacks & Mi’kmaq Initiative (IB & M) at Dalhousie University School of Law in Halifax, Nova Scotia, is the recipient of the 2010 Touchstone Award, recognizing outstanding achievements in promoting equality in the legal community in Canada.
- Katharine Saunders of Vancouver has been selected the winner of the 2010 Young Lawyers Pro Bono Award for outstanding legal services benefiting the community.
- Daniel A. MacRury, Q.C., Chief Crown Attorney for the Cape Breton Region of the Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Service, and Inquiry Counsel for the Hyde Fatality Inquiry, has been chosen as the winner of the 2010 John Tait Award of Excellence. The annual award recognizes an outstanding Canadian public sector lawyer.
- Patricia Lane of Winnipeg is the 2010 winner of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Conference (SOGIC) Ally Award for her achievements advancing the cause of equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered and two-spirited (LGBTT) people.
- Michael J. Law of Winnipeg is the 2010 winner of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Conference (SOGIC) Hero Award for his years of work in support of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered and two-spirited (LGBTT) movement in Canada.
- Simon Gingras, CBA Director of Information Technology (IT), is the winner of the 2010 Jack Innes Achievement Award, which recognizes the exceptional staff contribution to the Association.
- Beth Bilson, QC, of Saskatoon, Professor of Law at the University of Saskatchewan, has won the 2010 Cecilia I. Johnstone Award in recognition of her outstanding work for the advancement of women in the legal profession.
- A team from the Victoria Times Colonist and a team from Radio-Canada’s “Enquête” are the winners of the eleventh annual Justicia Awards for Excellence in Journalism.