The Order of Merit of the Association des juristes d'expression française de l'Ontario is awarded each year to one or two people to highlight their contributions to the promotion of legal services in French, the support they have given to the implementation and development of common law in French, as well as their dedication to the cause within associations and organizations.
Professor Roussy is distinguished by his teachings, his research and his dedication to the Francophone community. As the former director of pratiquO, a continuing professional education centre created at the Faculty of Law in 2017, he devoted his energy to training French-speaking lawyers, creating space for a greater number of lawyers to offer quality legal services in French. Over the years, he has also sat on various committees related to access to justice and the Francophonie. In short, the Franco-Ontarian legal community benefited greatly from pratiquO and Professor Roussy's tireless leadership.
Professor Roussy has also contributed to the French-speaking legal community through his academic teaching and research. He has shown a remarkable dedication to training quality lawyers in the French-speaking community who can make a significant impact on a national scale. He has published articles on access to justice in French and the ethical obligations of lawyers with regard to language rights. His main area of teaching and research is legal ethics. He is one of the few full-time professors teaching and researching in French in this field in the Canadian common law world. In recent years, he has been called upon on several occasions by the media to comment on current issues relating to ethics, the regulation of lawyers and other matters.
The other recipient of the Order of Merit this year is Ms. Nadia Effendi (LL.B. 2003), a renowned lawyer and a fervent activist of the Francophonie in Ontario, particularly on the issue of language rights.
This year's winners will be celebrated at AJEFO’s 43rd Annual Conference Gala on June 10 in Ottawa.
Read the full press release: Ordre du mérite 2023 : Me Effendi et professeur Roussy, à l’honneur!
Congratulations to Professor Roussy!
