For Immediate Release
July 13, 2006
OTTAWA – U.S. Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald will deliver the keynote address on public corruption and the pursuit of justice at the opening plenary session of the CBA’s 2006 Canadian Legal Conference in St. John’s on Aug. 13.
For the past four years, Patrick Fitzgerald, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, has played a key role in investigations involving terrorism financing, public corruption, corporate fraud and violent crime.
Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin addresses CBA Council on Saturday morning, Aug. 12 at 10:25 a.m. She will hold a news conference immediately following her address. During the next day-and-a-half, the CBA will debate policy resolutions. For the full text of the resolutions to be debated, please visit:
http://www.cba.org/CBA/resolutions/2006resdebate/
Federal Justice Minister Vic Toews will address CBA members, then answer their questions on Monday, Aug. 14 at 12:15 p.m.
Beginning on Monday, Aug. 14, and continuing for two days, the CBA rolls out more than 20 educational programs for lawyers and judges and another 20 sessions aimed specifically at in-house counsel, organized by the Canadian Corporate Counsel Association (CCCA).
The wide-ranging roster of CBA programs includes sessions on the active role of the Canadian legal community in international development; Charter issues such as freedom of religion, bilingual police services, and 20 years of equality rights under the Charter. A session on sharing health information vs. the right to privacy, and refugee selection in the 21st century, are also on the agenda. Full program details are available on the CBA website at:
http://www.cba.org/CBA/annualmeeting/2006%5Fannual/grid.aspx
CCCA programs follow the theme Finding Safe Harbours: Charting Your Course with Best Practices. Keynote speakers include former Newfoundland Premier Brian Peckford (breakfast Aug. 14); General Rick Hillier (lunch Aug. 14); Newfoundland Chief Justice Clyde Wells (lunch Aug. 15); and Brad Gushue, skip of the Canadian Men’s Olympic Gold Curling Team (closing, Aug. 15). Full CCCA program information can be found at:
http://www.cancorpcounsel.org/EN/Education/pdf/Annual_Conference_Agenda_2006.pdf
The Justicia Award for outstanding media coverage of the law will be presented at the Awards Luncheon on Saturday, Aug. 12. This year, 28 applicants will be vying for the top prize. The Young Lawyers Pro Bono Award for outstanding service to the community will be presented at the closing luncheon on Tuesday, Aug. 15.
A ceremony to mark the transfer of the presidency from outgoing President Brian A. Tabor, Q.C. of Halifax to J. Parker MacCarthy, Q.C., of Nanaimo takes place at the closing luncheon on Tuesday, Aug. 15.
Sessions are open to accredited media. Programs take place at the St. John’s Convention Centre, the Delta St. John’s and the Fairmont Hotel Newfoundland (CCCA program). The Media Centre is located in the St. Mary’s Room, Delta St. John’s. Accreditation may be obtained by contacting the CBA National Office in Ottawa at (613) 237-2925, ext. 146/155 until Aug. 10. The Media Centre will be open on Friday, Aug. 11 at noon, until Tuesday, Aug. 15 at noon.
The Canadian Bar Association is dedicated to improvement in the law and the administration of justice. Some 36,000 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: (709) 726-7594
