For Immediate Release
August 11, 2006
ST. JOHN’S, NFLD. – Chief Justice of the Superior Court of Quebec François Rolland and his spouse, corporate lawyer Sylvie Grégoire, of Montreal have been selected as co-recipients of the Canadian Bar Association (CBA) 2006 Louis St. Laurent Award of Excellence for distinguished service to the association.
“Chief Justice Rolland’s dedicated participation in the CBA throughout his legal career has led to innovative services and offerings for members and the public alike. Chief Justice Rolland was a founding member of the Canadian Judges Forum, which brings together federal and provincial judges within the Association. Working with the Forum, he was instrumental in the development of a video project for high school students, which explains the role of judges in Canadian society,” said CBA President Brian A. Tabor, Q.C. “Sylvie Grégoire has brought her leadership talents to both the Canadian Corporate Counsel Association, and to the re-design of the CBA Annual Meeting, now known as the Canadian Legal Conference. She was a member of the CBA’s Equity Committee at the National level, and has led the Quebec Branch’s Equity Committee for a number of years. The leadership and resolve shown by both these individuals clearly demonstrate how individuals can make a valuable contribution to both profession and community.”
A CBA member since 1976, Chief Justice Rolland served as a member of the CBA’s Quebec Branch executive in 1980, and was chair of the CBA’s national membership committee from 1987 to 1990. From 1989 to 1990, he served as the President of the Quebec Branch, and was named chair of the association’s national resolutions, constitution, and bylaws committee in 1995.
Chief Justice Rolland was named to the Superior Court of Quebec in 1996, and was appointed Chief Justice in 2004. He was a founding member of the CBA’s Canadian Judges’ Forum, and served as its chair from 2001 to 2002, during which time he organized discussion panels and conferences with international guests and helped produce the French-language version of “Judicial Independence: Its Importance for You,” an informational video for high school students and the public. Rolland gave numerous presentations to students in Montreal schools in support of the video and its principles. He has also served as trustee of the Law for the Future Fund, a charitable foundation that supports research on the Canadian legal system, from 1998 to 2004. He is a frequent speaker and presenter at CBA events.
Sylvie Grégoire has been a CBA member since 1986. For over 10 years, she has been actively involved with the CBA’s Quebec Branch as well as the national association, particularly with the Canadian Corporate Counsel Association (CCCA), a CBA conference for in-house counsel, since its inception in 1990. Grégoire served as CCCA vice-president in 2002-2003. Grégoire was a member of the CBA-Quebec Branch Executive from 1996 to 1997, and was part of the 1996 Montreal organizing committee for the Canadian Legal Conference. She was a member of the Quebec Branch’s subcommittee on the landmark Wilson Report on Gender Equality in the Legal Profession. She received her law degree from the University of Ottawa in 1985, and her LL.M. from the University of Montreal in 1994. She currently serves as director of legal services for McKesson Canada, a provider of logistics, distribution, and automation services in the field of Canadian health care.
The Louis St. Laurent Award, which takes the form of a bronze statue of the former prime minister, recognizes distinguished or exceptional service to the goals of the Canadian Bar Association. The 2006 CBA Louis St. Laurent Award will be presented at 12:30 p.m. NDT on Saturday, Aug. 12, 2006, in Salon B/C/D at the Delta St. John’s Hotel and Convention Center, St. John’s, Nfld., as part of the 2006 Canadian Legal Conference.
The Canadian Bar Association is dedicated to improvement in the law and the administration of justice. Some 36,000 lawyers, notaries, law teachers, and law students from across Canada are members.
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CONTACT: Hannah Bernstein, Canadian Bar Association, Aug. 11-15, Delta St. John’s Hotel and Convention Centre, St. Mary’s Room, (709) 726-7594; E-mail: hannahb@cba.org.
