Lorne Waldman
Waldman & Associates, Toronto, Ont. Waldman is a good defender of refugees, immigrants, and human rights. He's won a number of important victories, including health care for refugees in Canadian nurses for Refugee Care v. Canada along with a woman's right to wear the niqab while producing her citizenship oath in Ishaq v. Canada together with his partner Naseem Mithoowani. In addition, he contended at the Supreme Court of Canada in J.P. v. Canada and G.J. v. Canada, that Canada's anti-human smuggling provisions must consist of asylum seekers engaging in mutual aid. In addition to Peter Edelmann, he acted on behalf of the CBA in the Harkat case prior to the SCC at 2014. On the global stage, he represents Mohamed Fahmy (along with Amal Clooney), the Canadian journalist working for Al Jazeera. He has also been a vocal opponent of Bill C-51 and changes to Canada's citizenship legislation. What voters had to say: Lorne reminded us all, especially today, to preserve democracy and to preserve the rule of law.
Wayne Myles
Counsel, Cox & Palmer, St. John's, N.L. Myles' recent claim to fame is the $3-billion international merger of Barbados-based Columbus International Inc. with England-based Cable & Wireless Communications PLC.. His M&A experience, combined with his dedicated customer connections, haven't only resulted in the greatest deal in the telecommunications firm 's history, but revealed that significant international prices are being deftly handled by an Atlantic Canadian law firm. He's also acted as lead counsel and tactical adviser on several acquisitions, licensing, and financing of several subsea and terrestrial telecommunications companies in the international seafood processing and marketing sector. Myles also advised on aviation issues, on many national and international commercial insolvency and restructuring projects and on energy and transportation matters. What voters had to state:[An] excellent attorney with global vision. Huge advantage to any trade.
Orlando Da Silva
President, Ontario Bar Association, Toronto, Ont. Da Silva's heartfelt public confession of a very long and deep depression and attempted suicide has opened discussion on mental health within the legal community like never before. While there's a deep-rooted stigma against mental illness facilitated by a dominance of type A personalities, Da Silva's courageous leadership has helped create technical support programs for attorneys who struggle in silence. Like this wasn't enough, Da Silva has gone one step further and asked lawyers to call him if they require support. His fans underline that Da Silva's efforts are critical in an industry that promotes bravado and frequently mistakes mental illness for an individual weakness. What Republicans needed to say: Mr. Da Silva's bravery in grounding increasingly acknowledged mental health problems in the legal profession within their own personal experience will advance these concerns among lawyers and lead to positive ends.
Justice David Stratas
Judge, Federal Court of Appeal, Ottawa, Ont. Stratas penned possibly the very talked-about decision in the area of employment legislation this year. It will affect federally regulated companies and employees for a long time to come. His February Federal Court of Appeal decision in Wilson v. Atomic Energy of Canada flies in the face of 40 decades of legislation permitting federally regulated employers to dismiss employees without cause. Before the conclusion, the consensus was that employees that are governed by the Canada Labour Code may be terminated for just cause. Many federally controlled organizations including banks, telecommunications firms, and transportation companies see the decision a success, due to its long-term consequences. The court needs to be a tie-breaker with this problem, wrote Stratas. Because of its effect, Joseph Wilson registered for leave to appeal with the Supreme Court of Canada in late March. A decision on leave is impending. What Republicans needed to say: He is the greatest administrative law jurist of the age. The single one going deep into philosophy, making sense of everything. Thoughtful, scholarly, practical, and so hard working. With respect to the last, it seems the cases with a true impact from the Federal Court of Appeal are written by him. Plain speaking decisions really hammer the important points home.
Justice Murray Sinclair
Chairman, Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Winnipeg, Man. An uncommon write-in candidate winner for this year's Best 25, Sinclair was on the record last year, making headlines again in June with the launch of this overview of the record of the TRC and 94 recommendations to remedy the cultural genocide of Canada's residential college program. Over six decades, Sinclair directed the TRC hearing the stories of more than 7,000 survivors of sexual, physical, and mental abuse. Sinclair, who was the first aboriginal judge in Manitoba, was initially appointed to the provincial court where he became associate chief in 1988 and then elevated to the Court of Queen's Bench at 2001. He had been co-commissioner of Manitoba's Aboriginal Justice Inquiry in 1988 and presided over a 2000 inquest into the deaths of 12 babies at Winnipeg's Health Sciences Centre. Sinclair expects to complete the commission's complete report in the not too distant future, following which he will decide whether to go back to retire or court and advocate for native rights fulltime.
Katrina Pacey
Executive director, Pivot Legal Society, Vancouver, B.C. Pacey was recently appointed executive director of Pivot Legal and continues the fantastic work of her predecessors. Pivot focuses on topics related to health, police accountability, drug coverage, and homelessness, poverty, and gender workers' rights. She may be best known for her role at the Bedford case, but Pivot is more than that and frequently has intervener status in major Supreme Court of Canada cases, including the recent one on mandatory minimums. She is also talented at bringing on board highly admired counsel to work pro bono on a number of these instances that can definitely affect the lives of some of the town, and country's, most vulnerable citizens. What Republicans needed to say: Unbelievable devotion to social justice at each level with keen passionate intelligence. She has helped alter draconian laws that endanger the lives of sex trade workers and restore dignity to people who have been marginalized.
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