Justice Wally Oppal Receives Goyer Award
On November 2, at the annual Bench and Bar Dinner, the CBCBC presented Justice Wally Oppal with its highest award for contribution to advancement of the law and legal profession - the Georges A Goyer, QC Award for Distinguished Service.

The CBABC Goyer Award was created to recognize exceptional contributions to the legal profession, to jurisprudence or to the law in British Columbia. The award was established in 1992 in memory of Georges A Goyer, QC, a respected member of the BC Branch who passed away after a courageous battle with cancer.

In nominating Justice Oppal for the Goyer Award, members of the CBABC recounted his many contributions both as a lawyer and as a judge. Of particular note, however, has been his long time passion and contribution to educating the public about the role and workings of the Court. Justice Oppal has served on the Board of the Law Courts Education Society since its creation in 1989, and has spearheaded exceptional initiatives that have reached thousands of people who now understand more fully the Canadian system of justice.


Recognizing the Profession's "Unsung Heroes"
Knowing that lawyers contribute to their communities in many ways, last year the CBABC created Community Service Awards as an opportunity to highlight that work among peers and in local media. The response among the legal profession and their communities showed that these awards were long overdue - local papers such as the Cowichan News Leader, the Chilliwack Times, the Okanagan Sunday, and the Prince George Citizen carried stories of previously "unsung heroes" of the legal profession.

The CBABC was extremely pleased with the quality and quantity of nominations. In every instance, peers and community members presented a compelling case of outstanding individual contribution to the community. Last year the Community Service Awards attracted 15 nominations across six counties. Unfortunately no nominations were received from either Kootenay County or Prince Rupert County. There must be some very secretive or very humble lawyers quietly going about improving life and society in those communities. We ask lawyers in all counties to take this opportunity to recognize the volunteer work and community contributions of your colleagues.

Do you know of a lawyer who has demonstrated outstanding dedication, service and commitment to his or her community? Please see the nomination form included as an insert in this issue of BarTalk, or download the form from www.bccba.org, and let us know whom you consider an "unsung hero."


Jerry McHale Receives John Tait Award
Victoria lawyer Jerry McHale has been chosen by CBA's Public Sector Lawyers Conference as this year's recipient of the John Tait Award of Excellence.

Mr. McHale's dedication to the legal profession, in particular his leadership in the area of alternative dispute resolution, is far-reaching. Among other accomplishments, he has been a member of the Mediation Sub-Committee of the Law Society's Professional Standards Committee since its inception; he has spearheaded the Mediation Development Association of BC; and was instrumental in creating the CBA's Alternative Dispute Resolution Section in Victoria.

A lawyer since 1980, Mr. McHale is currently Director of the BC Ministry of the Attorney General's Dispute Resolution Office. He is responsible for developing dispute resolution programs in the court system and government. He also acts as a liaison among the Bench, the Bar, the community and government on dispute resolution matters.

The excellence award was established in 1998 to honour, recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of Public Sector Lawyers in Canada.


CBABC Law Student Awards
This is the inaugural year of the CBABC Law Student Awards, presented to the law student who best exemplifies CBABC ideals at the University of British Columbia and the University of Victoria. Criteria include student participation in activities supporting members of the profession; promotion of justice and law reform; equality; and demonstration of public and community service. Award recipients are selected by CBABC and law school representatives.

This year, two second-year UBC students, Miranda Lam and Andrew Faith, shared that university's $2000 prize. Miranda Lam greatly impressed the selection committee with the sheer breadth of her involvement in different organizations and agencies. Her energy - and her obvious commitment to, as she stated so eloquently "the look of gratitude on other people's faces" - has meant that many people have benefited from her contributions at law school. In presenting Andrew Faith with his half of the award ($1000), Margaret Ostrowski, QC, CBABC President noted, "it is a pleasure to see in you the new breed of lawyer - one who understands the traditional aspects of the law, but who is also immersed in the expanding area of alternative dispute resolution."

P Jason Forbes, a first year law student at of the University of Victoria, received that law school's $2000 scholarship. Mr. Forbes is from the Northwest Territories, and combines his legal education pursuits with a wide range of athletic activities and a keen interest in philosophy and politics.


SOGIC Ally Award Presented to Joseph Arvay QC
The Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Conference (SOGIC) of the Canadian Bar Association has selected Victoria lawyer Joseph Arvay, QC as this year's recipient of its 2000 SOGIC Ally Award. The award recognizes contributions made in the cause of equality for gay men and lesbians.

Mr. Arvay has litigated many ground-breaking constitutional law cases, including the 1995 Supreme Court of Canada decision in James Egan and John Nesbit v. Canada, which involved a challenge to the opposite-sex definition of "spouse" under the Old Age Security Act.

He represented the Little Sisters Book and Art Emporium in its challenge to censorship of gay and lesbian art and literature by Customs Canada - a case which was argued before the Supreme Court of Canada in March 2000.

He also represented John Chamberlain, Murray Warren and others in their challenge of the Surrey School Board's decision to ban three books which depicted children with same-sex parents.

Mr. Arvay practises civil, constitutional and administrative litigation with the Victoria firm Arvay Finlay, which was founded in 1990.

This article was published in the December 2000 issue of BarTalk. © 2000 The Canadian Bar Association. All rights reserved.