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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 25, 2009

 

OTTAWA – Lawyer, former Chief Justice of Ontario and former Attorney General of Ontario the Hon. Roy McMurtry, O.C., O.Ont., Q.C., of Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP in Toronto, has been named the winner of the Canadian Bar Association's (CBA) 2009 Ramon John Hnatyshyn Award for Law in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the law.

“For nearly 50 years, Roy McMurtry has been one of Canada’s pre-eminent lawyers, political leaders, and jurists,” said CBA Past-President Guy Joubert, of Winnipeg. “He has been a profoundly influential Canadian through his various roles, from helping to shape public policy in the law while in public office, to working to establish the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. As Chief Justice of Ontario, his decisions have helped define our nation and civil society. Roy McMurtry is richly deserving of the CBA’s Ramon John Hnatyshyn Award.”

Mr. McMurtry’s long and distinguished legal career began in 1958 when he was called to the Bar in Ontario. He practised law for 17 years before being elected to the Ontario Legislature in 1975. He served as Attorney General (AG) for Ontario until 1985. During his years as AG, the Ontario Legislature passed more than 50 law reform statutes introduced by him including the first major family law reform legislation in Canada, the creation of a bilingual court system and a network of legal aid clinics.

In 1985, Mr. McMurtry was appointed Canada’s High Commissioner to Great Britain, a post he held until 1988. In 1991, he was appointed Associate Chief Justice of the Superior Court of Ontario, Trial Division, and then Chief Justice of that court in 1994. In 1996 he was appointed Chief Justice of Ontario and held that position until 2007.

The founder and president of the Osgoode Society, which has published 78 books on legal history since 1979, he is also the creator of the Ontario Justice Education Network which helps high school students learn about the law. He continues to be involved on the Advisory Committee of Pro Bono Law Ontario.

Mr. McMurtry is currently a member of the advocacy department at Gowlings where he serves as counsel to the firm. He also provides a full range of dispute resolution and mediation services and continues his long-standing tradition of public and community service which includes being the Chancellor of York University.

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 2009 CBA Hnatyshyn Award will be presented at the CBA Awards Ceremony and Reception on Friday, Nov. 27, 2009 in the Sovereign Room at the King Edward Hotel in Toronto. The event is open to accredited media. Please contact Hannah Bernstein for accreditation.

The Canadian Bar Association is dedicated to support for the rule of law, and improvement in the law and the administration of justice. Some 37,000 lawyers, law teachers, and law students from across Canada are members.