Ottawa, June 4, 2025 – We are thrilled to announce the 2025 CBA Awards of Excellence honorees. Each year, the Canadian Bar Association honours members of the legal profession whose contributions to our organization, the legal profession and the justice system single them out as deserving of special recognition.
Here are the 2025 CBA Awards of Excellence honorees:
President’s Award
The Right Honourable Kim Campbell is this year’s distinguished recipient of the President’s Award, presented by CBA President Lynne Vicars. This award recognizes the significant contribution of a Canadian jurist to the legal profession, the CBA or the public life of Canada. As Canada’s first - and so far, only - woman to serve as Prime Minister, Kim Campbell exemplifies unwavering dedication to advancing democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, both in Canada and around the world. She was also Canada’s first woman to serve as Minister of Justice and Attorney General, a role in which she championed significant reforms and helped advance the cause of justice across the country. She shattered historic barriers and opened doors for generations of women in politics, law, and leadership. Her remarkable career has spanned not only political office but also distinguished contributions to the legal profession, public service, and international diplomacy.
Louis St-Laurent Award of Excellence
The Louis St-Laurent Award is the highest award conferred to a CBA member in recognition of a lifetime of outstanding service and professional achievement to the benefit of the legal profession, the CBA and society at large. This year’s winner, Kenneth Armstrong, K.C., has demonstrated nearly unparalleled dedication and leadership within the legal profession in his decades of service to the CBA, the CBA British Columbia branch, and many other legal organizations. He served as the President of CBA BC from 2019 to 2020 and recently served from 2022-2024 on the CBA National Board of Directors and joined the Finance, Audit, Governance & Equality, and Awards Committees.
Touchstone Award
The Touchstone Award celebrates the accomplishments of an individual or an organization who has excelled at promoting equality in the legal profession, the judiciary or the legal community in Canada. This year’s recipient is the Honourable Michael H. Tulloch, Chief Justice of Ontario.
His career stands as a profound testament to the power of leadership rooted in equity and service. From championing systemic reform in police oversight and criminal justice, to mentoring generations of racialized lawyers and spearheading efforts to diversify legal education, Chief Justice Tulloch’s impact has been both deep and wide-ranging. He played an instrumental role in founding the Second Chance Scholarship Foundation, and his appointment as the first Black Chief Justice of Ontario was trailblazing. His unwavering advocacy for inclusion across the judiciary and legal profession has helped change institutions and lives.
Ramon John Hnatyshyn Award for Law
This award is given to recognize outstanding contribution in law reform, legal scholarship and/or legal research. Duncan Glaholt is being recognized this year for his instrumental work in advancing construction law in Canada. He is a founder and an active Fellow of the Canadian College of Construction Lawyers and has practiced exclusively in the area of construction law for more than four decades. In addition to his practice as an advocate, he frequently sits as a mediator, arbitrator, dispute review board chair, court appointed monitor and referee of construction industry disputes.
Douglas Miller Rising Star Award
The Douglas Miller Award honours CBA members - like this year’s winner, Yvan Guy Larocque - who demonstrate outstanding dedication and team spirit in their ongoing involvement with the association. Yvan co-founded the 100% Indigenous-owned law firm, Hall & Larocque LLP, and has achieved significant success in Indigenous Law, where he has worked on complex files in Indigenous economic development, governance, negotiation, and litigation. His leadership extends to mentorship and guidance for junior lawyers and Indigenous law students, and he teaches courses at the University of Manitoba Faculty of Law, supervising students through clinical programs where they provide pro bono legal services to the public.
Jack Innes Award
The Jack Innes Award recognizes outstanding contribution to the CBA by a current staff member who has exhibited creativity, innovation, leadership and commitment. This year’s award goes to Denise Cameron, executive director of the CBA New Brunswick branch. She played a pivotal role in making the CBA-New Brunswick a Universal Membership Jurisdiction and in doing so, she strengthened member engagement and created new opportunities for advocacy, programming, and community building. She has also contributed significantly to professional development programming that has enhanced the value and satisfaction of CBA-NB members.
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, law teachers and law students from across Canada are members.