Dennis Edney and Nate Whitling
Defence counsel, Edmonton, Alta. In a rare move, Edney and Whitling have been named as Top 25 honourees as a team. Both have spent more than a decade advocating for Omar Khadr, nearly universally on a pro bono basis. From Guantanamo Bay to the Supreme Court of Canada (three occasions ), the unlikely duo have fought for Khadr to have him released from prison (success in May), have him treated as a child soldier, and continue to battle for his lawful rights at home and overseas. It's been what the Globe and Mail called waging a war of legal attrition against the authorities, which has consistently done everything to paint Khadr as a dangerous terrorist who must be kept behind bars. Edney, a former football player who just started practising law in 40, has become the general public and press face of the continuing legal battles, even taking Khadr to his own home after he was recently released on bond. Whitling, a Harvard law grad and former SCC clerk, is a much more quiet and reserved force behind the scenes. What Republicans needed to say: Dennis has gone above and beyond the call of duty in his defence of Omar Khadr. The nobility of the profession is dependent on lawyers like Dennis as we're sometimes called on to defend unpopular entities or people -- but individuals who are not as deserving of natural justice and procedural fairness. Whitling is a intelligent and highly effective advocate who remains out of the limelight. He is a fantastic lawyer. Exceptionally intelligent and excellent to use.
Jean-Pierre Blais
Chairman, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, Ottawa-Gatineau Blais isn't afraid of criticism and is prepared to go above and beyond in the name of customer rights. A recent CRTC decision will give users more freedom to choose TV stations of their liking as part of the satellite and cable subscriptions despite bitter opposition from Canada's cable businesses. Blais known as former Bell Media president Kevin Crull, without naming names, over reports Crull told CTV news personnel to not interview him after that choice. Crull ended up apologizing for interfering in the information gathering process and later stepped down. From telemarketers to telcos, Blais consistently intends to support the rights and needs of consumers. What Republicans needed to say: Reaching big shift with consumer-minded focus. About time!
Alice Woolley
Professor and associate dean-academic, University of Calgary Faculty of Law, Calgary, Alta. Woolley is a true changemaker in the area of technology and law in addition to law regulation. She's been a valuable member of the Canadian Bar Association's integrity and professional responsibility committee. Her job with the CBA Futures project as an ethics and regulatory issues staff member is really making a mark in the legal community. Woolley is responsible for sweeping educational changes as chairwoman of the committee which developed and adopted significant curricular changes in the University of Calgary's Faculty of Law, which focus on the technical elements of legal education and will come into effect in September. What Republicans needed to say: Leading expert on legal profession and integrity; once she speaks, people listen. Alice is a visionary. Teaching law students in a way that will prepare them for a 21st century practice is of crucial importance to the future of our profession.
Pascale Fournier
Professor & study chair, legal pluralism and comparative legislation, University of Ottawa Faculty of Law, Ottawa, Ont. Fournier has achieved international fame for her groundbreaking work on gender, faith, and the legislation, together with fieldwork interviews with women from various countries to highlight the intricate interplay between spiritual and secular law. She's received numerous national and international awards and nominations in 2014. Fournier became a fellow of the prestigious International Women's Forum for her role as a pioneer in the legal profession; getting the Canada-Arab Chamber of Commerce Award for academic excellence and contribution to humanity. Fournier represented the University of Ottawa as a successful pioneer in the Governor General's Canadian Leadership Conference and has been appointed by the National Assembly of Quebec into the Quebec Human Rights and Youth Rights Commission. What Republicans needed to say: Superb thoughts, according [to] Harvard's Prof. Kennedy.
Pascal Paradis
Executive director, Lawyers Without Borders Canada, Quebec City, Que. Back to his second time around the Top 25, Paradis is a unstoppable force and a passionate advocate for human rights, especially for women and children. As a result of Paradis' initiative, the Quebec bar joined LWBC to act as global counsel in favour of Raif Badawi, the Saudi blogger condemned to jail and flogging for his comments criticizing the regime. Since January 2015, Paradis and LWBC are leading a consortium of Canadian organizations working to get a wide-range five-year project to boost justice. They aim to execute means of balancing and prevention for women victims of sexual abuse and other persons affected by the Malian armed conflict. He also speaks at many international conferences on human rights issues. What voters had to say: He has left a very profitable position in a big federal law firm to go LWBC for a very compact paycheque since he followed his heart and his enthusiasm.
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