From the Office of the President, René Basque
The Canadian Bar Association is saddened by the passing of Paule Gauthier, P.C., O.C., O.Q., Q.C on September 21. She served the Canadian legal profession, her country, and our Association well during her long and distinguished career.
Paule Gauthier was national President of the CBA in 1992-1993, the first female to lead the Association. She was steadfast in her support of gender equality. During her tenure, she presided over the release of the ground-breaking report on gender equality in the legal profession, Touchstones for Change: Equality, Diversity and Accountability.
In her preface to the book, she notes:
“The challenge is to ensure that the legal profession guarantees women equality of access and equality of opportunity for advancement. The report has been drafted with a problem-solving orientation to guide the profession as it struggles with this challenge.”
During her tenure as President, the CBA extended its international influence through its Eastern and Central European Program in Hungary, Poland, the Ukraine and the (then) Czech and Slovak Republics. The program was designed to help legal colleagues practise law in an open and democratic society.
While she was President, the CBA also created its Task Force on Health Care which was tasked with looking into advances in medicine and genetics including new reproductive technologies.
Called to the Bar in Quebec in 1967, she was a Senior Partner of Stein Monast S.E.N.C.R.L., where she practised corporate and commercial law. She was the first female President of the Quebec Branch in 1983-1984. She was named Queen’s Counsel in 1988, appointed a member of Queen’s Privy Council for Canada in 1984, appointed to the Order of Canada in 1990, and named an Officer of the Order of Quebec in 2001.
The CBA extends its condolences to family, friends, and colleagues.