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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 11, 2001

SASKATOON - The Canadian Bar Association has named Judge Jean-Luc Dutil, Q.C., Provincial Court of Quebec, as the recipient of its national Ramon John Hnatyshyn Award for Law for the year 2001.

"Throughout his legal career, Judge Dutil has worked to better our legal system through his pioneering efforts to make justice viable and accessible to northern and Aboriginal communities," says CBA President Daphne Dumont, Q.C., of Charlottetown. "His commitment adds up to a remarkable lifetime contribution."

As a public champion for the restorative justice concept, Judge Dutil was instrumental in promoting an approach to justice which directs individuals away from the traditional incarceratory response in the justice system and leads to community solutions to community problems with are much less costly, more effective, and most likely to break the cycle of recidivism.

Judge Dutil earned his L.L.B. from the Université Laval in 1954. Named Queen's Counsel in 1974, he became a Provincial Court Judge one year later. His involvement with Aboriginal affairs began in 1990 and he has been integral in the development of community justice and instituting legal measures that are in line with Aboriginal and Inuit customs and traditions.

He has held the directorship of the Northern Justice Conference and is an advisor and founding member of the Aboriginal Justice Learning Network, a voluntary network that bridges communication between the current justice system and Aboriginal communities.

Judge Dutil will receive his award at the CBA Council Luncheon on Saturday, Aug. 11 in the Saskatoon Centennial Auditorium, Centennial Hall B, Lower Floor during the CBA's Annual Conference in Saskatoon, Aug.11-15. The event is open to accredited journalists who have registered with the CBA Media Centre. Pool feed will be available.

The Hnatyshyn Award, established in 1993 by then-Governor General Ramon John Hnatyshyn, recognizes outstanding contributions to the law and legal scholarship in Canada. The Canadian Bar Association represents the legal profession on a national and international level. It is dedicated to improvement in the law and the administration of justice. Some 37,000 lawyers, notaries, law teachers and law students from across Canada are members.

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CONTACT: Hannah Bernstein, Aug. 10-15, CBA Media Centre in Saskatoon at the Saskatoon Centennial Auditorium, Executive Room, First Floor, (306) 683-5033.