Organized by Le Regroupement étudiant de Common Law en français (RÉCLEF), in collaboration with the (Association étudiante de Common Law Student Society) (AÉCLSS), this annual dinner celebrates the vitality of Canada's French-speaking legal community. Judges, lawyers, parliamentarians, faculty members, students, graduates of the Programme de common law en français (PCLF) and the Canadian Law Program (CLE) gathered to demonstrate their commitment to access to justice in French in Ontario and across the country.
The Bastarache-Charron award is given out annually to highlight the work of a member of the francophone legal community. The distinction recognizes the commitment of this person to the defence of francophone language rights in a minority setting. The award recipient is someone who has improved access to the legal profession in French, while advocating for francophones’ language rights. The prize is named after two former justices of the Supreme Court of Canada with deep roots to the Faculty – Michel Bastarache and Louise Charron.
We congratulate Caroline Magnan, Director of the Pan-Canadian French Common Law Program in Calgary, on receiving the Prix Bastarache-Charron.
Mark Power LLB ’02 introduced Caroline to receive her prize. “Caroline’s many contributions to access to justice in French and to teaching common law in French make her an outstanding recipient of the Bastarache-Charron award. Caroline is respected, in particular, because she respects the people around her, as well as for the reliable, generous character she shows. I am delighted that Caroline’s achievements have been recognized through this prestigious award.”
Caroline Magnan is the Director of the Certification de common law en français (“CCLF”) program. Launched in 2016, the CCLF provides students from the law faculties of the Universities of Saskatchewan, Calgary, Alberta, Lakehead and Toronto Metropolitan with a unique opportunity to take common law courses in French through the PCLF and acquire the tools they need to offer legal services in French.
“I am honoured to be given this award. As a Franco-Saskatchewanian and Franco-Albertan, this recognition is particularly dear to me, because it is especially due to leading jurists such as the honorable justices Bastarache and Charron that I understood from a young age the importance of a strong language community. I am grateful for the opportunity I have been given as director of the CCLF to work closely with the visionary, dynamic team at the Faculty of Law, Common Law Section, of the University of Ottawa. I would also like to highlight the invaluable support of the Department of Justice, as well as the faculties of law of the universities of Saskatchewan and Calgary, the associations of French-speaking jurists across the country, the ACUFC and the Réseau national de formation en justice. I am also very grateful that Mark Power and his dream team at Power Law have let me get involved at times with files that I care about with a major impact on the development of language rights in Canada, now and in the future.”
Congratulations Caroline!
Learn more about Caroline’s career and accomplishments.