Louise Langevin, Nathalie Des Rosiers and Marie-Pier Nadeau winners of the 2014 Walter Owen Book Prize

  • July 30, 2014

Ottawa — The Foundation for Legal Research’s (FLR) 2014 Walter Owen Book Prize  has been awarded to Louise Langevin, Nathalie Des Rosiers and Marie-Pier Nadeau for their work, L’indemnisation des victimes de violence sexuelle et conjugale, 2nd Edition, published by Yvon Blais.

L’indemnisation des victimes de violence sexuelle et conjugale gives an overview of civil liability law as it applies to sexual and marital violence, including state compensation schemes.

According to Michelle Cumyn, of the FLR’s Selection Committee, the book offers an outstanding contribution to Canadian legal doctrine by addressing a topical subject of great interest in the practice of law and academic thought.

“The legal analysis is accurate and rigorous,” notes Michelle Cumyn.  “Written for victims, the book presents a well-balanced interpretation of the law.”

The Selection Committee was impressed with the scope of the revisions completed between the original 1998 edition and the current 2012 edition.  The work was well written, carefully edited, and contains an impressive bibliography.

"This remarkable work makes a major contribution to Canadian law and deserves to be recognized,” notes Cumyn.

A professor at the Law Faculty of Laval University since 1991, Louise Langevin specializes in feminist theory, human rights, and legal obligations. A member of the Barreau du Québec since 1986, she received the Barreau du Québec’s Mérite Christine-Tourigny in 2010 for her contribution to the advancement of women in the profession.

Marie-Pier Nadeau obtained her degree in civil law at Laval University in 2006.  After practising insurance law in Quebec, she obtained a degree in common law at Dalhousie University in 2011.   She is a member of the Barreau du Québec and the Law Society of Upper Canada.

Nathalie Des Rosiers, Dean of Common Law at the Law Faculty of the University of Ottawa, is a professor and a constitutional law and women’s rights expert. Before her appointment as Dean in 2013, she spent four years as general counsel to the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.  She has received many distinctions, including the Order of Canada in 2013, the Order of Ontario in 2012, and an honourary doctorate from the Law Society of Upper Canada.

The Walter Owen Book Prize, awarded by the Foundation for Legal Research, is designed to recognize excellent legal writing and to reward outstanding new Canadian projects that enhance the quality of legal research in this country.  The prize is awarded in the form of $10,000 in cash, and it is funded by the Foundation for Legal Research.

The prize will be presented in February 2015 at the Canadian Bar Association’s Mid-Winter Meeting of Council.

The CBA 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.