For Immediate Release
August 11, 2007
CALGARY - Quebec Superior Court Justice John Gomery, who presided over the inquiry into the federal government sponsorship scandal, has been named the winner of the Canadian Bar Association's (CBA) 2007 CBA Ramon John Hnatyshyn Award for Law in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the law.
"The dedication Justice Gomery exhibited throughout his career as practitioner and judge to improve both the profession and the knowledge of individual members of the judiciary stands as an example to his peers," said J. Parker MacCarthy, Q.C., President of the CBA. "While he became a household name thanks to his handling of the sponsorship inquiry, which helped restore public confidence in the justice system, the qualities that led to his selection for this award reside in his unsung contribution to law and the legal system in Canada."
Gomery was appointed as a judge of the Superior Court for the Appeal Division of Montreal in December 1982. Simultaneously with his Superior Court duties, Gomery was named president of the Copyright Board of Canada in March 1999, during a time of upheaval in the Canadian copyright law system. His three-year mandate was renewed in 2002 for an additional three years. Gomery retired from the bench Aug. 9.
He has been a member of many committees of the judiciary and served as president of the Comité Général des Juges de la Cour supérieure du Québec. He was president of the Family Law Committee from 1983 to 1993, where he used his practical experience as a family law lawyer to help lead major court reforms to eliminate what was described as chaos in the Quebec family law system. Gomery was also a member of the Rules of Practice Committee from its inception in 1983 until 2004.
In February 2004, Gomery was appointed by an order-in-council to preside over a commission of inquiry investigating and reporting on questions raised by the federal auditor general with respect to the sponsorship program and advertising activities of the Government of Canada. This resulted in the November 2005 publication of the commission's fact-finding report and a second report in February 2006 containing recommendations, which concluded the commission. Following the completion of this mandate, he returned to the bench.
He was admitted to practise law as a member of Quebec bar in 1957, and joined the law office which is today known as Fasken Martineau DuMoulin in 1957, becoming a partner in 1966. He was named Queen's Counsel in 1972. His areas of specialization were family law, commercial litigation and bankruptcy. He was elected a councillor of the Bar of Montreal and was active in various committees of the Canadian Bar Association and of the Bar of Montreal.
Established in 1993 by then-governor-general Ramon John Hnatyshyn, the Hnatyshyn Award for Law recognizes outstanding contribution to the law or legal scholarship in Canada.
The 2007 Ramon John Hnatyshyn Award for Law was presented at 12:30 p.m. MDT today, in the Telus Convention Centre, Macleod C, Calgary, as part of the 2007 Canadian Legal Conference. The event is open to accredited journalists who have registered with the CBA Media Centre.
The Canadian Bar Association is dedicated to improvement in the law and the administration of justice. Some 37,000 lawyers, law teachers, and law students from across Canada are members.
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CONTACT: Hannah Bernstein, Canadian Bar Association, Aug. 10-14,Telus Convention Centre, Glen 208 Room, 403-218-7856; E-mail: hannahb@cba.org.
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