I know, I know…it’s a little late to be wishing you a Happy New Year. Still, because this is our first issue of 2010 I’m hoping you’ll indulge me. With the recession receding in the rearview mirror, the year is already looking more positive and prosperous than 2009. Hope your 2010 is off to a good start.
As we get deeper into the new millennium, I’ve noticed the Number 10 popping up all over. And so I’m dedicating this issue to that double digit. Launched at the end of 2007 and published quarterly since then, Precedent has reached an exciting milestone: You are holding in your hands, our tenth issue. Thanks to those of you who have been reading the magazine from the start and special points to those who have collected all 10.
January marked the tenth anniversary of our Chief Justice’s leadership of the Supreme Court. Since her appointment in 2000, Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin has been at the helm of a court that must constantly redefine and reinterpret rights and freedoms for the 21st century. Under her leadership, the Charter has been applied to issues of security, technology, privacy and equality in ways that could not have been anticipated in the early ’80s.
Included on the list of topics in which old law is being applied to new facts is media law. A series of recent decisions has gone far to define and protect the rights of journalists and wrestled with the new realities of gathering and reporting news in the Internet era. Our feature story “The Newsmakers” takes a look at three lawyers who work for some of Canada’s biggest newspapers. From the courtroom to the newsroom, these lawyers are having a profound impact on the way news is gathered and on which stories get told. As Quebecor Media Inc. lawyer Tycho Manson puts it: “It’s been a heroic period to be involved in this field.”
This brings me to my final reason that this issue is being brought to you by the Number 10. This summer, Precedent will recognize top lawyers in their first 10 years of practice. The newly established Precedent Setter Awards will honour lawyers called between 1999 and 2009 who exemplify excellence and leadership in both the practice of law and in their contributions to the community. If you have a colleague who has what it takes to be a Precedent Setter, I encourage you to nominate him or her. Please visit our website for more information (lawandstyle.ca/awards). Nominations are due April 1.
My thanks to the Number 10 for inspiring this issue!
Melissa Kluger
Publisher & Editor