Ottawa, February 18, 2025 – The Law Commission of Canada (LCC) and the Canadian Bar Association (CBA) are pleased to announce that Linda Besner has been named the inaugural LCC-CBA Journalism Fellow.
Linda Besner is an award-winning freelance writer based in Montreal who has collaborated with The Globe and Mail, The Guardian and The Atlantic, among other publications. She is an alumna of the Banff Literary Journalism residency and a former fellow of the MacDowell Colony.
Through the fellowship, Besner will produce a series of original in-depth articles exploring critical issues in law and justice in the lives of people across Canada, including: lessons from the depopulation of jails during the pandemic; the codification of Indigenous family and child welfare legal traditions; the public’s role in shaping the adoption of AI tools within the justice system; and the impact of the demise of regional news on the open court principle.
The LCC and CBA share a strong commitment to public legal education, law reform, and advancing thought leadership on emerging law and justice issues. By fostering greater public understanding of Canada’s institutions of law, justice, and democratic governance, the LCC-CBA Journalism Fellowship will make a valuable contribution to an informed, engaged and empowered society.
Quotes
“The Law Commission of Canada is delighted to collaborate with the Canadian Bar Association in creating this opportunity for journalists to investigate changing ways in which law intersects with the needs and aspirations of people across Canada. As the inaugural LCC-CBA Journalism Fellow, Linda Besner will shine a light on pressing law and justice questions relevant to the future of Canadian society. I offer my warm congratulations to Linda and look forward to reading and learning from her work.”
- LCC President Shauna Van Praagh
“On behalf of the Canadian Bar Association, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to Linda Besner on being awarded this inaugural journalism fellowship. Journalism plays a vital role in fostering an informed society, and we believe that Linda’s work will help demystify important aspects of our justice system, making it more accessible and understandable to the public. At a time when trust in our institutions is being tested, this kind of reporting is more essential than ever.”
- CBA President Lynne Vicars
Quick Facts
- The LCC-CBA Journalism Fellowship is an initiative designed to support in-depth journalistic exploration of critical and emerging law and justice issues in Canada.
- Articles will be published on the LCC and CBA websites, featured in CBA National Magazine, and shared across the networks of both organizations, reaching the Canadian legal community.
- A public engagement project based on the articles will be developed in collaboration with the LCC and CBA.
- The fellowship is valued at $40,000 CAD.
Related links
Law Commission of Canada
Canadian Bar Association
About the Law Commission of Canada
The LCC is an independent agency committed to engaging the people of Canada in the ongoing and dynamic evolution of law.
About the Canadian Bar Association
The CBA is dedicated to support the rule of law and improvement in the law and the administration of justice. Some 40,000 lawyers, judges, notaries in Quebec, judges, law teachers and law students from across Canada are members.