Advocacy-Matters-Summer-2022
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EVENT REPORT<br />
Ottawa advocates welcome<br />
the return of in-person<br />
events<br />
Zoe Oxaal, Department of Justice<br />
Ottawa’s advocate community welcomed the return of in-person gatherings this season with<br />
three events celebrating outstanding advocates.<br />
John P. Nelligan Award for Excellence in<br />
<strong>Advocacy</strong>: Richard (Rick) Dearden<br />
On May 3, <strong>2022</strong>, The Advocates’ Society held a<br />
dinner in honour of Richard (Rick) Dearden of<br />
Gowling WLG, recipient of the John P. Nelligan<br />
Award for Excellence in <strong>Advocacy</strong>. Rick was feted<br />
by clients and fellow advocates including his<br />
law partner and spouse Wendy Wagner (Gowling<br />
WLG), and master of ceremonies Anne Turley<br />
(Department of Justice). Appearing by video,<br />
former Ottawa Citizen and CBC journalist Neil<br />
McDonald gave the reporter’s perspective on<br />
Rick’s vital role defending news media during<br />
times when newsrooms were better resourced<br />
than today. Rick spoke passionately about the<br />
highlights of a career that took him from the<br />
University of Ottawa class of 1977 to law firm<br />
“lifer” at Gowlings.<br />
While he has a significant practice in international<br />
trade, it is his advocacy in media and defamation<br />
law that has made headlines. Reflecting<br />
on the current media context, Rick urged<br />
that we cannot take freedom of the press for<br />
granted and that the legal profession must be<br />
vigilant in preventing its erosion. As Rick pointed<br />
out, freedom of the press guaranteed by the<br />
Charter is meaningless if nobody defends it.<br />
A Life of Firsts: the Honourable Rosalie<br />
Silberman Abella<br />
Also in Ottawa on May 12 & 13, <strong>2022</strong>, advocates<br />
from across the country, as well as legal scholars<br />
and international jurists, gathered for the<br />
conference “A Life of Firsts: A Celebration of a<br />
Remarkable Career and Legacy” honouring the<br />
retirement of former Supreme Court of Canada<br />
justice, The Honourable Rosalie Silberman<br />
Abella. Over two days, panels examined topics<br />
arising from Justice Abella’s life, career and<br />
jurisprudence, from human rights and family<br />
law to labour and international law.<br />
TAS contributed to the conference with a panel<br />
entitled “Justice Abella & Women in the Legal<br />
Profession.” The session explored Justice Abel-<br />
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