April 10, 2008
Mr. Justice Michel Bastarache brought a unique presence to the Supreme Court of Canada. Comfortable in both official languages and cultures that is a model for all, Mr. Justice Bastarache also contributed an exceptional blend of skills from his background in business, practice and academia that the Court will be hard pressed to replace.
Perhaps he is best known for his passion for language rights. He edited the 2nd edition of the book Language Rights in Canada, 2004 which is considered the bible on the subject. He also wrote the majority decision in R. v. Beaulac, and co-authored the decision in Arsenault-Cameron v. Prince Edward Island, both of which emphasized the need to give language rights a liberal interpretation in accordance with their purpose of remedying past injustices for linguistic minorities.
During his more than ten years on the Court, Mr. Justice Bastarache also gave back to the profession. As chair of Editorial Board of the CBA’s Canadian Bar Review, he oversaw the publication of a Special Edition of the Review on the 125th anniversary of the Court, The Supreme Court of Canada: Legacy and Challenges.
Bernard Amyot
President
Canadian Bar Association
The Canadian Bar Association is dedicated to improvement in the law and the administration of justice. Some 37,000 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.
