Congratulations to Wes Pue on winning the CLSA English-language book prize

Congratulations, Wes! A well-deserved honour.
I re-tweeted this news when it came out a few weeks ago, but neglected to post on it. Mea culpa.

The Canadian Law and Society Association announces:

2017 Prize citations / 2017 Annonces des prix

Book prize / Prix du meilleur ouvrage :

Committee / Comité : Nicole O’Byrne (Chair / Présidente), Thomas McMorrow

W. Wesley Pue, Lawyers’ Empire: Legal Professions and Cultural Authority, 1780-1950 (Vancouver: UBC Press, 2016).

Commendation / Recommandation :
Wes Pue (University of British Columbia, Allard School of Law) has long been considered one of Canada’s foremost legal historians. This book marks of the culmination of a career spent researching and thinking about the legal education. It is a remarkable achievement. On the book jacket, Harry Arthurs states that “no one should be allowed to study, teach, practise, or write about Canadian law without first reading Lawyers’ Empire....his account of the antecedents, culture, education, governance, and political economy of the Canadian and English legal professions is deeply informed and astonishingly informative, broad in sweep and rich in detail, provocative and witty.” The committee strongly agrees with this assessment. Although the focus of the book ends shortly after World War II, its analytical structure as a work of intellectual and cultural history contributes immeasurably to the contemporary debate over legal education. Wes Pue has written a definitive book on the emergence of lawyers as a professional class. It is essential reading for anyone interested in the history and future of the legal profession in Canada.

Baker, William Osgoode's Marginalia on reception of Imperial Law on SSRN

Posted on SSRN, forthcoming in the Osgoode Hall Law Journal, Blaine Baker ,

"Musings and Silences of Chief Justice William Osgoode: Digest Marginalia about the Reception of Imperial Law":

Abstract:
This essay focuses on musings and silences in the margins of Canadian Chief Justice William Osgoode's late-eighteenth-century law library, to understand the role he assigned to Westminster-based imperial law in the transmission of 'British justice' to the colonies. It concludes that role was limited, mostly by Osgoode's greater commitment of time and energy to legislative and executive branches of government than to the judiciary, and by his sometimes cavalier impatience with English courts and legal commentators.

Osgoode Society Legal History Workshop Schedule--Fall term, 2017

OSGOODE SOCIETY LEGAL HISTORY WORKSHOP, 2017-2018: FALL TERM, 2017

All sessions will be held in the Jackman Building, U of T Faculty of Law, Room 219, at 6.30 pm. The exception is the September 27^th session – see below.

Wednesday September 13: Christopher Moore, Independent Historian: “Federalism, Free Trade within Canada, and The British North America Act, s.121”

Wednesday September 27: Special Law Society of Upper Canada Event – Lawyers and Canada at 150. This will take place at the Donald Lamont Learning Centre, Osgoode Hall, 130 Queen Street West, from 3.00-6.00, with a reception to follow 6 – 7.30, in Convocation Hall at Osgoode Hall. The programme is reproduced below. The event is free but you are asked to register.

Wednesday October 4:  Jim Phillips, University of Toronto: “Squatting and the Rights of Property in British North America”

Wednesday October 18: Ian Kyer, Independent Historian, “The Ontario Bond Scandal of 1923 Revisited”

Wednesday November 1 – Constance Backhouse, University of Ottawa: “Claire L’Heureux-Dubé.”

NOTE: The Osgoode Society 2017 Annual Book Launch will take place on Thursday, November 2. 

Wednesday November 15 – Philip Girard, Osgoode Hall Law School, "Two Cheers for the Constitutional Act of 1791."

Wednesday November 29 - Nick Rogers, York University: " 'Strumpet hot bitch!' Defamation Suits before Bristol's Bawdy Court, 1720-1790."

Details of September 27 Event

The Law Society will mark Canada’s 150^th birthday with a special event highlighting the role of lawyers in making the Constitution and in the development of the inclusive society we are committed to building.

Panel 1: The first panel will speak to the role of lawyers in the making of the Constitution in 1867 and beyond.

Moderator: Professor Jim Phillips, University of Toronto

Christopher Moore, award winning author and historian, will discuss the confederation debates over the division of powers.

The Honourable Robert Sharpe of the Ontario Court of Appeal will assess the origins and significance of thePersons Case.

Eric Adams of the University of Alberta will examine the career and ideas of lawyer and political activist Frank (F.R.) Scott.

Leading constitutional litigator Mary Eberts will revisit the drafting of section 15 of the Charter, in which she played an instrumental role.

Panel 2: The second panel will examine the careers of visionary lawyers who, from the causes they pursued and the careers they built, were ahead of their time.

Moderator: Professor Philip Girard, Osgoode Hall Law School

Hamar Foster of the University of Victoria will discuss the early lawyers who represented British Columbia’s Indigenous peoples in the struggle for recognition of their land rights.

Barrington Walker of Queen’s University will talk about the struggles and triumphs of Delos Rogest Davis, the son of an escaped slave who was the second African-Canadian called to the Bar in Ontario, in 1886.

Laurel Sefton McDowell of the University of Toronto looks at labour activist, civil libertarian and lawyer Jacob Laurence (J.L.) Cohen, the most influential labour lawyer of the turbulent 1930s.

Constance Backhouse of the University of Ottawa will discuss the ways in which women have contributed to the legal profession from Clara Brett Martin’s first entry in 1897 and beyond.

LSUC presents Lawyers and Canada at 150, Sept. 27

Mark your calendars--
The Law Society of Upper Canada will present

Lawyers and Canada at 150
on September 27, 2017 from 3 to 6 pm, at Osgoode Hall, Toronto, followed by a reception 6 to 730 pm.

Note that this is a free event, but space is limited: RSVP required.

Moderator: Professor Jim Phillips, University of Toronto

Christopher Moore, award winning author and historian, will discuss the confederation debates over the division of powers.

The Honourable Robert Sharpe of the Ontario Court of Appeal will assess the origins and significance of the Persons Case.

Eric Adams of the University of Alberta will examine the career and ideas of lawyer and political activist Frank (F.R.) Scott.

Leading constitutional litigator Mary Eberts will revisit the drafting of section 15 of the Charter, in which she played an instrumental role.

Hamar Foster of the University of Victoria will discuss the early lawyers who represented British Columbia’s Indigenous peoples in the struggle for recognition of their land rights.

Barrington Walker of Queen’s University will talk about the struggles and triumphs of Delos Rogest Davis, the son of an escaped slave who was the second African-Canadian called to the Bar in Ontario, in 1886.

Laurel Sefton McDowell of the University of Toronto looks at labour activist, civil libertarian and lawyer Jacob Laurence (J.L.) Cohen, the most influential labour lawyer of the turbulent 1930s.

Constance Backhouse of the University of Ottawa will discuss the ways in which women have contributed to the legal profession from Clara Brett Martin’s first entry in 1897 and beyond.

Reception: 6 to 7:30 p.m.

The Law Society of Upper Canada

130 Queen Street West

Donald Lamont Learning Centre followed by a reception in Convocation Hall

This program is also available via simultaneous webcast.

Les avocats et le Canada à l’heure du 150e 

Christopher Moore, auteur et historien primé, parlera des débats autour de la division des pouvoirs dans la Confédération.

L’honorable Robert Sharpe de la Cour d’appel de l’Ontario évaluera les origines et l’importance de l’affaire « personne ».

Eric Adams de l’Université de l’Alberta examinera la carrière et les idées de l’avocat et militant politique Frank (F.R.) Scott.

La plaideuse constitutionnelle renommée Mary Eberts revisitera la rédaction de l’article 15 de la Charte, dans laquelle elle a joué un rôle déterminant.

Hamar Foster de l’Université de Victoria parlera des premiers avocats qui ont représenté les peuples autochtones de la Colombie-Britannique dans leur lutte pour la reconnaissance de leurs droits territoriaux.

Barrington Walker de l’Université Queen’s parlera des luttes et des triomphes de Delos Rogest Davis, le fils d’un esclave en fuite qui était le deuxième Afro-Canadien admis au barreau en Ontario, en 1886.

Laurel Sefton McDowell de l’Université de Toronto analyse le militant syndical, défenseur des libertés civiles et avocat Jacob Laurence (J.L.) Cohen, l’avocat syndical le plus influent à l’époque turbulente des années 1930.

Constance Backhouse de l’Université d’Ottawa parlera des façons dont les femmes ont contribué à la profession juridique depuis la première entrée de Clara Brett Martin en 1897 et après.

Réception : 18 h à 19 h 30

130, rue Queen Ouest, Toronto (Ontario)

Centre Donald Lamont

Une réception suivra dans la Grande Salle

Ce programme est également disponible par webémission simultanée.

The second panel will examine the careers of visionary lawyers who, from the causes they pursued and the careers they built, were ahead of their time.

Moderator: Professor Philip Girard, Osgoode Hall Law School

September 27 2017

Program: 3 to 6 p.m.

CPD Hours: 3 Substantive

RSVP

Photographs and video taken at this public event will be used in Law Society and partner organization print and online publications.

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Le Barreau célèbrera le 150e anniversaire du Canada avec un évènement spécial soulignant le rôle des avocats dans la Constitution et dans le développement d’une société inclusive en laquelle nous croyons.

Le premier panel parlera du rôle les avocats dans la Constitution en 1867 et au-delà.

Modérateur : Professeur Jim Phillips, Université de Toronto

Le deuxième panel examinera la carrière des avocats visionnaires qui, depuis les causes qu’ils ont défendues jusqu’aux carrières qu’ils se sont bâties, étaient en avance sur leur époque.

Modérateur : Professeur Philip Girard, Faculté de droit d’Osgoode Hall

27 septembre 2017

Programme : 15 h à 18 h

Barreau du Haut-Canada

Heures de FPC : 3 h de droit de fond

RSVP

Cet évènement public est gratuit, mais les places sont limitées. Pour vous inscrire, veuillez cliquer ici.

Les photographies et les vidéos prises à cet évènement public seront utilisées dans les publications en ligne et imprimées du Barreau et de l’organisation partenaire.

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Call for presenters: Osgoode Society Legal History Workshop

The Osgoode Society holds an evening workshop at U of T  more-or-less fortnightly during the academic year for legal historians (broadly defined) to present their work-in-progress for constructive, friendly feedback.

Jim Phillips is inviting expressions of interest for 2017-18. If you are interested in presenting your work, would like to be on the distribution list to receive papers, or just have questions, please email him at j.phillips@utoronto.ca.
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Roberts and Reid, Aboriginal Incarceration in Canada since 1978

AnRelated information

* Please direct correspondence to Julian V. Roberts, Centre for Criminology, University of Oxford, Manor Road Building, Manor Road, Oxford OX1 3UQ; julian.roberts@crim.ox.ac.uk
University of Oxford

Julian Roberts and Andrew A. Reid have an article, "Aboriginal Incarceration in Canada since 1978: Every Picture Tells the Same Story" in the latest issue of Canadian Journal of Criminology and Criminal Justice  that may be of interest to legal historians.

Abstract:

Sentencing in Canada is beset by many problems, yet one weakness stands above the rest: the disproportionately high rates of Aboriginal incarceration. This article documents current and historical trends in levels of Aboriginal incarceration at the provincial/territorial and federal levels since 1978. We pay particular attention to the years following two important Supreme Court judgements (in 1999 and 2012) that directed the courts to use custody with greater restraint when sentencing an Aboriginal offender. The primary data derive from the annual Adult Correctional Services survey conducted by Statistics Canada. In 2014, Aboriginal persons accounted for just over one quarter of all provincial and territorial admissions, significantly higher than the percentage recorded in 1978 (16%). In fact, over the past 20 years, all jurisdictions save one have experienced an increase in the percentage of Aboriginal admissions to provincial and territorial correctional institutions. Despite judgements from the Supreme Court and provincial courts of appeal, as well as several other remedial interventions, such as the creation of so-called Gladue courts and an alternate form of custody that would be served in the community, the problem of Aboriginal over-incarceration has worsened, not improved.

Au Canada, la détermination de la peine comporte de nombreux problèmes, mais un point faible se démarque : le très haut taux d'incarcération chez les Autochtones. Cet article documente les tendances actuelles et historiques des taux d'incarcérations des Autochtones aux niveaux provincial/territorial et fédéral depuis 1978. Nous nous attardons particulièrement aux années qui ont suivies deux jugements importants de la Cour suprême (en 1999 et 2012) qui a ordonné les cours de faire preuve de plus grande retenue quand venait le temps de déterminer la peine de détenus autochtones. Les données primaires viennent de l'enquête sur les Services correctionnels pour adultes réalisée par Statistiques Canada. En 2014, les personnes autochtones formaient un peu plus d'un quart de toutes les incarcérations provinciales et territoriales, une hausse importante depuis le pourcentage noté en 1978 (16 %). En fait, au cours des 20 dernières années, toutes les juridictions sauf une ont noté une augmentation du pourcentage d'incarcérations d'Autochtones dans les établissements correctionnels provinciaux et territoriaux. Malgré les jugements de la Cour suprême et des cours d'appel provinciales, ainsi que plusieurs autres interventions de rééducation, notamment la création de tribunaux dits Gladue et une forme alternative de détention passée dans la communauté, le problème de la surincarcération des Autochtones s'est empiré au lieu de s'améliorer.

Prize winners announced at Osgoode Society AGM

Congratulations to Jason Hall and Dennis Molinaro!

Jason Hall, who has just completed his PHD at the University of New Brunswick, is the winner of the Peter Oliver Prize for best published student writing, for his article "High Freshets and Low-Lying Farms: Property Law and St. John River Flooding in Colonial New Brunswick", published in volume 39 of the Dalhouse Law Journal.

Dennis Molinaro, also a recent PHD, currently teaching at Trent University, was awarded the McMurtry Fellowship in Canadian legal history.

Dennis is the author of An Exceptional Law: Section 98 and the Emergency State, 1919-1936, one of the Osgoode Society's books for 2016. 

To become a member of the Osgoode Society, or learn more about the Society and our work, visit our website.

Supreme Court of Canada and Library and Archives Canada sign agreement on transfer, preservation and access to case files

Very good news for legal and constitutional historians: by a press release dated June 9th, Library and Archives Canada and the SCC announced access to the case files of SCC cases older than 50 years (h/t Trish McMahon).

Ottawa, Ontario, June 9, 2017 — Library and Archives Canada (LAC) and the Office of the Registrar of the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) are pleased to announce an agreement that will ensure that the case files of Canada’s highest court will be preserved and accessible to future generations.

Under the agreement, the SCC will transfer ownership to LAC of its case files older than 50 years. This will bring many historical SCC case files under LAC’s control, where they can be preserved and used for research purposes.

Among the cases covered by the agreement are:

•         Roncarelli v. Duplessis, a landmark 1959 ruling on the rule of law involving the Premier of Quebec;

•         the Margarine Reference which outlined the proper exercise of the criminal law power under the Canadian Constitution; and

•         several matters decided in the aftermath of the enactment of the Canadian Bill of Rights in August 1960.

The LAC-SCC agreement also means that certain categories of the Court’s judicial information, such as the Collegial files of the judges of the Supreme Court of Canada, will become accessible to the public 50 years after a case file has been closed, thereby providing insights into the inner deliberations of the Court. 

The SCC will continue to control its active case files and closed files until 50 years after a judgment has been rendered. 

Quotes

“On behalf of the Office of the Registrar of the Supreme Court of Canada, I am very proud of this important milestone in the preservation of the Court’s historical records. I wish to thank all who played a role in this matter for their untiring efforts to arrive at this important agreement which will add to our country’s institutional memory.”

Roger Bilodeau, Q.C., Registrar of the Supreme Court of Canada

“Library and Archives Canada (LAC) is very pleased to be adding an important part of the country’s judicial and legal history to its collection. The Supreme Court of Canada has played a key role in making Canada the just and equitable society that we all enjoy today, and it is with much pride that LAC will help preserve and share that legacy.  ”

Dr. Guy Berthiaume, Librarian and Archivist of Canada, Library and Archives Canada

For more information, please contact:

Gib van Ert
Executive Legal Officer
Supreme Court of Canada
613-996-9296

media@scc-csc.ca

Richard Provencher

Media Relations

Library and Archives Canada

819-994-4589

BAC.Media.LAC@canada.ca

About the Supreme Court of Canada

The Supreme Court of Canada is Canada's final court of appeal. It serves Canadians by deciding legal issues of public importance, thereby contributing to the development of all branches of law applicable within Canada.

About Library and Archives Canada

The mandate of Library and Archives Canada is to preserve the documentary heritage of Canada for the benefit of present and future generations, and to be a source of enduring knowledge accessible to all, thereby contributing to the cultural, social and economic advancement of Canada. Library and Archives Canada also facilitates co-operation among communities involved in the acquisition, preservation and diffusion of knowledge, and serves as the continuing memory of the Government of Canada and its institutions. Stay connected with Library and Archives Canada on Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and YouTube.

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La Cour suprême du Canada et Bibliothèque et Archives Canada

signent une entente sur le transfert et la conservation des dossiers d’instance de même que sur l’accès à ces dossiers

Pour diffusion immédiate

Ottawa (Ontario), le 9 juin 2017 — Bibliothèque et Archives Canada (BAC) et le Bureau du registraire de la Cour suprême du Canada (CSC) sont heureux d’annoncer la conclusion d’une entente qui garantira la conservation des dossiers d’instance du plus haut tribunal du pays et la possibilité pour les générations futures d’y avoir accès.

Selon l’entente, la CSC cèdera à BAC la propriété de ses dossiers d’instance de plus de 50 ans. Un grand nombre de dossiers d’instance historiques de la CSC passeront ainsi entre les mains de BAC, où ils pourront être conservés et consultés à des fins de recherche.

Parmi les dossiers visés par l’accord, mentionnons :

•         Roncarelli c. Duplessis, un arrêt célèbre de 1959 sur la primauté du droit impliquant le premier ministre du Québec;

•         Le Renvoi sur la margarine, où la Cour a décrit l’exercice légitime de la compétence en droit criminel au regard de la Constitution canadienne;

•         Plusieurs arrêts rendus dans la foulée de l’adoption de la Déclaration canadienne des droits en août 1960.

L’entente intervenue entre BAC et la CSC signifie également que certaines catégories de renseignements judiciaires de la Cour, tels que les dossiers collégiaux des juges de la Cour suprême du Canada, seront mises à la disposition du public 50 ans après la fermeture d’un dossier d’instance, ce qui fournira des éclaircissements sur les délibérations à huis clos de la Cour. 

La CSC conservera la mainmise sur ses dossiers d’instance actifs et dossiers fermés durant les 50 années qui suivent le prononcé d’un jugement. 

Citations

« Au nom du Bureau du registraire de la Cour suprême du Canada, je suis très fier de ce jalon important dans la conservation des dossiers historiques de la Cour. Je tiens à remercier tous ceux et celles ayant joué un rôle dans cette entreprise des efforts sans relâche qu’ils ont consentis pour parvenir à cette entente d’importance qui contribuera à la mémoire institutionnelle de notre pays. »

Roger Bilodeau, c.r., registraire de la Cour suprême du Canada

« Bibliothèque et Archives Canada (BAC) est très heureux d’enrichir sa collection de ces éléments importants de l’histoire juridique et légale du pays. La Cour suprême du Canada a joué un rôle prépondérant dans l’édification de la société juste et équitable qu’est le Canada d’aujourd’hui. C’est donc avec grande fierté que BAC participera à la préservation et à la diffusion de cet héritage. »

Guy Berthiaume, bibliothécaire et archiviste du Canada, Bibliothèque et Archives Canada

Pour de plus amples renseignements, veuillez communiquer avec :

Gib van Ert
Conseiller juridique principal
Cour suprême du Canada
613-996-9296

media@scc-csc.ca

Richard Provencher

Relations avec les médias

Bibliothèque et Archives Canada

819-994-4589

BAC.Media.LAC@canada.ca

À propos de la Cour suprême du Canada

La Cour suprême du Canada est la juridiction d’appel de dernier ressort du pays. Elle sert les Canadiens en tranchant des questions de droit d’importance pour le public, contribuant ainsi à l’évolution de toutes les branches du droit au Canada. 

À propos de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada

Le mandat de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada consiste à préserver le patrimoine documentaire du Canada pour les générations présentes et futures, et à être une source de savoir permanent accessible à tous, contribuant ainsi à l’épanouissement culturel, social et économique du Canada. Bibliothèque et Archives Canada facilite également la concertation des divers milieux intéressés à l’acquisition, à la préservation et à la diffusion du savoir, en plus d’être la mémoire permanente de l’administration fédérale et de ses institutions. Restez branchés avec Bibliothèque et Archives Canada sur Twitter, Facebook, Flickr et YouTube.

Adams and Stanger-Ross on WWW Japanese-Canadian internment on SSRN

Eric Adams of the University of Alberta and Jordan Stanger-Ross of the University of Victoria have posted 

"Promises of Law: The Unlawful Dispossession of Japanese Canadians" on SSRN

The article will appear in vol.54 (3) of the Osgoode Hall Law Journal.

Abstract:

This article is about the origins, betrayal, and litigation of a promise of law. In 1942, while it ordered the internment of twenty-one thousand Canadians of Japanese descent, the Canadian government enacted Orders in Council authorizing the Custodian of Enemy Property to seize all real and personal property owned by Japanese Canadians living within coastal British Columbia. Demands from the Japanese-Canadian community and concern from within the corridors of government resulted in amendments to those orders which made clear that the Custodian held that property as a “protective” trust, and would return it to Japanese Canadians at the conclusion of the war. That is not what happened. In January 1943, a new order in council authorized the sale of all property seized from Japanese Canadians. The trust abandoned, a promise broken, the Custodian sold everything it had taken. This article traces the promise to protect property from its origins in the federal bureaucracy and demands on the streets to its demise in Nakashima v Canada, the Exchequer Court decision that held that the legal promise carried no legal consequence. We argue that the failure of the promise should not obscure its history as a product of multi-vocal processes, community activism, conflicting wartime pressures, and competing conceptions of citizenship, legality, and justice. Drawing from a rich array of archival research, our article places the legacy of the property loss of Japanese Canadians at the disjuncture between law as a blunt instrument capable of gross injustice and its role as a social institution of good faith.

Research Colloquium for grad students in legal history (with funding possibility!)

Student Research Colloquium announced

The American Society for Legal History will host a Student Research Colloquium (SRC) on Wednesday, October 25, and Thursday, October 26, 2017, immediately preceding the ASLH’s annual meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada. The SRC enables a small number of Ph.D. students and law students to discuss their in-progress dissertations and law review articles with distinguished ASLH-affiliated scholars.

The SRC’s target audience includes early-post-coursework graduate students and historically minded law students. The colloquium seeks to introduce such students to legal history, to each other, to the ASLH, and to the legal-historical scholarly community generally. Students working in all chronological and geographical fields are encouraged to apply, as are students whose projects engage legal-historical themes but who have not yet received any formal training in legal history. Applicants who have not had an opportunity to present their work at ASLH annual meetings or who have not otherwise had an opportunity to discuss their work with legal historians are particularly encouraged to apply. A student may be on the program for the annual meeting and participate in the SRC in the same year.

Each participating student will pre-circulate a twenty-page, double-spaced, footnoted paper to the entire group. The group will discuss these papers at the colloquium, under the guidance of two faculty directors. The ASLH will provide at least partial and, in most cases, total reimbursement for travel, hotel, and conference-registration costs.

The application deadline is July 15, 2017. Applicants should submit:

* a cover letter;
* a CV;
* a two-page, single-spaced “research statement,” describing an in-progress project; and
* a letter of recommendation from a faculty member, sent separately from, or together with, the other materials.

Organizers will notify all applicants of their decisions by August 15, 2017. Please direct questions and applications to John Wertheimer at jowertheimer [at] davidson.edu