For Immediate Release
August 12, 2005
VANCOUVER – Robin Bajer of Miller Thomson LLP Vancouver has been selected as the winner of the Canadian Bar Association's 2005 Young Lawyers Pro Bono Service Award.
"Not only did Mr. Bajer invest many hours of his own time providing pro bono legal services, but the case has had a significant impact on the situations of low-income persons in B.C. and their access to justice," said Ritu Banerjee of Ottawa, Chair of the Young Lawyers-CBA. "The jury was extremely impressed with the scope and importance of the case. Mr. Bajer's work truly exemplifies work performed 'for the public good' by lawyers."
Following his call to the bar in 2003, Robin Bajer began working at Miller Thomson LLP in civil litigation. Over the last year, he spent hundreds of hours working with senior partner Darrell W. Roberts, Q.C., on Christie v. the Attorney General of British Columbia et al., which concerned the constitutionality of provincial tax applying to legal services for persons of low income, launched by Vancouver lawyer Dugald Christie. The case resulted in a declaration that the Social Services Tax Amendment Act, 1993 was unconstitutional to the extent that it applies to legal services for low-income persons, as the court ruled the Act violates their right to access to justice.
"Mr. Bajer's work on the file would not have been possible without the strong commitment to pro bono work by Miller Thomson, and, in particular, from senior partner Darrell W. Roberts, Q.C.," Banerjee said.
In addition to his work on the Christie case, Mr. Bajer has also provided pro bono legal advice at walk-in clinics in Vancouver and Winnipeg.
Mr. Bajer received his LL.B. from the University of Manitoba in 2001 and was called to the B.C. bar in 2003.
The Young Lawyers Pro Bono Award recognizes outstanding pro bono publico (“for the public good”) legal services to the community by a Canadian lawyer who is younger than 40 years old or who has been in practice for fewer than 10 years. It takes the form of a $1,500 cash prize.
The award will be presented to Robin Bajer at the Young Lawyers Luncheon on Tuesday, Aug. 16 in the Vancouver Convention Centre, Hall C, during the Canadian Legal Conference in Vancouver, Aug. 14-16. The event is open to accredited media who have registered with the CBA Media Centre.
The Canadian Bar Association is dedicated to improvement in the law and the administration of justice. Some 34,000 lawyers, law teachers, and law students from across Canada are members.
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CONTACT: Hannah Bernstein, Canadian Bar Association, Tel: (613) 237-2925, ext. 146; E-mail: hannahb@cba.org. Aug. 12-15: (604) 647-7408.
