The Walter Owen Book Prize, Awarded by the Foundation for Legal Research, is designed to recognize excellent legal writing and to reward outstanding new contributions to Canadian legal doctrine that enhance the quality of legal research in this country.
The prize was created in honour of Walter Owen, Q.C., P.C., a prominent member of the Law Society of British Columbia, former Lieutenant Governor of that province, past President of the Canadian Bar Association and original President of the Foundation for Legal Research.
Eligibility
- Any book judged to be of great value to Canadian lawyers and judges in the performance of their daily duties.
- The book must have been published in the two year-period preceding the awarding of the prize.
- Awarded in alternating years for works written in English (odd-numbered years) and French (even-numbered years).
- Co-authors are acknowledged as nominees.
SUBMISSION OF WORKS FOR THE 2018 COMPETITION
Submissions must be accompanied by a statement of 200 words or less explaining how the book meets the award criteria.
The submissions must be made with the author’s consent. At the end of the competition, the books will not be returned to the individuals or to the publishing companies that submitted them.
The deadline for applications is March 9, 2018. Submissions must include one copy of the book sent to the attention of the Selection Committee Chair, at the following address:
Me Martine Valois, Ad.E.
Professeure agrégée
Faculté de droit
Université de Montréal
CP 6128 succ. Centre Ville
Montréal QC H3C 3J7
martine.valois@umontreal.ca
Additional copies will be requested for books which are shortlisted. Our experience suggests that the publisher of the book will be happy to supply the necessary copies.
SELECTION CRITERIA
The winning submission will be an important work on a topic of current interest in the field of law. Its value must be highly appreciated by jurists, including judges, practising lawyers, and academics.
In choosing the winner, first editions will be preferred over subsequent editions of works that have already been published, unless a new edition consists of an extensive and complete revision of the original work. General interest works such as biographies of eminent jurists, commissioned works, and research in the context of law reform are also less likely to be selected.
SELECTION PROCESS
The successful candidate will be chosen by a Selection Committee made up of eminent lawyers, judges and/or academics appointed annually by the Foundation for Legal Research.
The members of the Selection Committee are:
Martine Valois, (Chair)
Edmund William Coates (Secretary)
Daniel Boyer
Honorable Juge Serge Gaudet
Peter C. Oliver, Vice Dean
Lionel D. Smith
AWARD AND CEREMONY
The award is a $10,000 cash prize funded by the Foundation for Legal Research.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
For additional information, please contact the Secretary of the Chair of the Selection Committee, Martine Valois (Martine.valois@umontreal.ca).
PAST WINNERS