Ottawa — Area high school students will hear from a special guest – Federal Justice Minister Peter MacKay – as part of the Canadian Bar Association’s (CBA) Law Day 2014 activities in Ottawa. The Minister will describe his career path and take questions from the students as part of a career panel, one of several events taking place on Thursday, April 10 aimed at high school students studying law.
The half-day event (9:00 am to 12 noon) for high school students takes place at the Albert Street Education Centre, 440 Albert Street, in the main auditorium. The morning begins at 9:00 am with a mock trial based on a bullying and “threatening harm” scenario enacted by drama students from Glebe Collegiate Institute.
The enactment is followed by a mock trial with Ontario Court Justice Kevin Phillips presiding, along with Crown Counsel James Meloche, Public Prosecution Service of Canada, appearing opposite defence lawyer James Foord, Foord Davies LLP.
After the mock trial, Asha McKay, Border Services Officer and Detector Dog Handler, Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) will offer a demonstration of the “sniffing” skills of her dog Becky.
To wrap up the morning, students will hear from panelists who will describe their career paths in law and answer questions. The career panel begins at approximately 11:00 am.
Moderated by James Foord, Foord Davies LLP, the career panel includes special guest Federal Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada Peter MacKay; Justice Kevin Phillips, Ontario Court of Justice; Crown Counsel Margaret Jarmoc, Public Prosecution Service of Canada; and Sgt. Cori Slaughter, Ottawa Police Service.
The theme of Law Day is Access to Justice. A series of five lunchtime lectures are taking place April 7-11, from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm in the auditorium of the Ottawa Public Library, Main Branch, at 120 Metcalfe Street.
An important part of improving access to justice is to ensure people have the information and tools they need to avoid legal problems in the first place, or to prevent those problems from becoming bigger than they might have been. The CBA is offering six Legal Health Checklists for the public.
The Canadian Bar Association is dedicated to supporting the rule of law, improvements in the law, and the administration of justice. Some 37,500 lawyers, law teachers, and law students from across Canada are members.