Ambactus (Winter 1991)

12 Pages·1991·3.7 MB·English

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Vol. 1 No. 1 Winter, 1991 Edmonton
Faculty Entertains Japanese Visitors
1, 1990 the Faculty of Law entered
into an exchange agreement with the
Faculty of Law, University of Niigata
in Japan. Since that time there has
been exchanges of faculty members.
Dean Christian, Professors Robb and
Reif and Alex Pringle have given
lectures at the University of Niigata.
Professor Ken Kuwahara from Niigata
taught a course in Pacific Rim Law in
1991. This term he is teaching
Japanese law with Professor Terry
Kunitake, also from Niigata.
In the Fall of 1991, seventeen
academics from the Universities of
Niigata and Osaka visited the
University of Alberta for two weeks.
Japanese visitors touring the Rockies with members of the Faculty.
They were law teachers, political
scientists and business professors.
They participated in a two day talked about “Globalization and its
workshop entitled Doing Business with Effects Upon Present Day Japan."
Japan, sponsored by the Faculty of Students in criminal law heard about
Tn this Issue Law under the Eldon D. Foote "Special Features of Japanese Criminal
Endowment Fund, the Centre for Law" from Professor Honma, and the
From the Dean’s Desk
International Business Studies of the graduate students learned about
20th Anniversary Celebration . . Faculty of Business, and the Asia "International Human _ Rights
Pacific Foundation of Canada. Covenants and Japanese Law" from
Class of 1994
Professor Murakami and “Freedom of
Other members of the Japanese Expression in Japan" from Professor
delegation gave faculty seminars, Narushima.
Health Law/ALITA
attended classes and taught the
Constitutional Studies graduate seminar. The topics of the As part of the ongoing exchange
faculty seminars were varied. program, Professors Robertson and
Indigenous Law Program
Professor Terry Kunitake spoke on Bell have been invited to give
"Comparison of Japanese and semunars at Niigata during the summer
J. Peter Meekison
Canadian Labour Law"; Professor of 19927)
Hagai’s lecture was on "City Planning
and Organization in Japan; Professor
Namazugoshi compared "Japanese and
Canadian Procedural Safeguards for
Accused Persons" and Professor Taga
University of Alberta Faculty of Law
From the Dean’s Desk
5.
i
Dear Alumni and Friends: aboriginal students for our program. 4
We are also developing a support ;}
It gives me great pleasure to introduce system for Aboriginal students.
you to our new semi-annual Faculty of
Law Newsletter. Ambactus, a latin During this year we have created a
word meaning “messenger,” will Visiting Chair in Legal Education and
provide news of people and events at the Legal Profession, funded by the
the Faculty. I would like to thank the Alberta Law Foundation. Professor
Friends of the Faculty for their Brent Cotter is our first Chair holder
generous support of this publication. and is working in a number of areas
related to professional responsibility.
Dean Tim Christian is taking a well-
deserved year of administrative leave These are two examples of the
before beginning his second term. innovative new programs to which the
Tim spent much of the Fall term at Faculty is committed. We always Acting Dean A. Anne McLellan
Niigata University in Japan. welcome comments and suggestions
from friends and alumni as to the
Despite a series of annual cutbacks in nature of our law program and the anniversary. A visit by The Chief
our base operating budget, the Faculty kinds of services we should be Justice of Canada, The Right
continues to develop new programs providing to our students and the Honourable Antonio Lamer and a gala
and services for our students. We are community. banquet on Friday, September 18th, at
particularly proud of our Indigenous which we will honour "Builders" of
Law Program, funded by the Alberta The Faculty appreciates the necessity our Law School will highlight the
Law Foundation. All within our legal to respond to the ever changing nature weekend. Workshops, panels and an
community are aware of the chronic of the law and our legal system. Our open house for the public, are all
under-representation of Aboriginal curriculum reflects a desire to provide planned. Professor Lewis Klar,
peoples in the Canadian justice the student with an intellectually Charalee Graydon and Doris Wilson
system. We are attempting to challenging, yet practical, legal are co-Chairs of the Celebration and
ameliorate this situation by education. Learning objectives are anyone interested in assisting with the
encouraging greater numbers of designed to develop analytical, legal project should contact one of them. -
talented Aboriginal students to apply writing, advocacy and negotiating Please mark this date on your
to study law. Our Indigenous Law skills. However, the Law School calendars. It will be an exciting time
Program Director, Larry Chartrand, recognizes that all of our graduates and an opportunity for you to renew
has been aggressively recruiting will neither be able, nor will want, to old acquaintances, meet new friends
engage in the traditional practice of and get a first hand look at what is
law. We are preparing our students "new" at the Law School.
Ambactus for the market realities of the
profession in the 1990’s. This is a challenging and exciting year
Editors: Lillian MacPherson for me. I thank my colleagues,
Bruce P. Elman I want to invite all of you to our 20th students and members of the
Anniversary Celebration, September profession and Bench who have been
Design & Typeset: Lorie Huising
18-20, 1992. This weekend, co- supportive of me. I look forward to
Published twice yearly with the generous sponsored by the Friends of the seeing many of you at the 20th
support of the Friends of the Faculty of Law. Faculty, will celebrate a number of Anniversary Celebration weekend.
significant milestones in the Law
Faculty of Law
School’s history: the "new" Law
University of Alberta
Centre is 20 years old; the Graduate
Edmonton, Alberta NW
T6G 2H5 Studies Program is 25 years old and
Telephone: [phone] the Institute of Law Research and
Fax: [phone] Reform is celebrating its 25th A. Anne McLellan, Acting Dean.
Twentieth Anniversary
Justices Stevenson and
Celebratory Week-end Picard to Receive
Honorary Degrees
v William A. Stevenson, class of
>
‘57, and Ellen I. Picard, class of
‘67, will be honoured by the
University of Alberta at its Spring
Convocation.
Justice Stevenson was appointed to
the Supreme Court of Canada in
1990. Previously he had served
for ten years on the Alberta Court
of Appeal of Alberta. Justice
Stevenson has been actively
involved in legal education. He
was a Professor in the Faculty of
Law from 1968-70, head of the Bar
Admission Course from 1970-72, a
member of the Board of the Law
Reform Institute from 1969-79 and
a Sessional Instructor in the Faculty
of Law until his appointment to the
Supreme Court. Justice Stevenson
We will be holding various seminars
has been a leader in the field of
and sessions dealing with matters of
judicial education. He is co-editor
Tire Faculty of Law and the Friends interest for the general public, the
of An Annotation to the Alberta
of the Faculty will be hosting a special Bar, and the academic community.
Rules of Court.
Anniversary Weekend to honour the As well, we will be hosting class
20th anniversary of the Law Centre, reunions, and get togethers of old
Justice Picard was a member of the
the 25th anniversary of the Graduate friends who studied and worked
Faculty of Law from 1972-87 when
Program, and all our alumni and together while at University of
she was appointed to the Court of
friends who have played an important
Alberta. In short, we intend this
Queen’s Bench. She served the
role in the life of the Faculty since its weekend to be a major alumni and
Faculty as Associate Dean from
founding some 70 years ago. friends event, one which we believe is
1980-81 and was the driving force
long overdue.
behind the establishment of the
The Chief Justice of the Supreme
Health Law Institute. In 1987 she
Court of Canada, Mr. Justice Antonio Planning for the weekend is being
was appointed an Honorary
Lamer, will be visiting here on undertaken jointly by the Faculty and
Professor of Law and in 1988 an
Friday, September 18. He will be the Friends of the Faculty. Doris
Honorary Professor of Medicine.
speaking to the student body in the Wilson, Charalee Graydon and
In 1990, Justice Picard was
afternoon, and will be our special Professor Lewis Klar have assumed
appointed Vice-President of the
guest at a formal dinner on Friday responsibility for the overall planning.
Law Reform Commission of
evening. We anticipate that other A steering committee consisting of
Canada. She is the author of the
Justices of the Supreme Court of Professors Pollock, Percy, Mis,
widely acclaimed book entitled The
Canada, as well as other Courts, will Acorn, Bauman, and Elman has been
Legal Liabilities of Doctors and
also be in attendance. We intend to struck to deal with the planning from
Hospitals in Canada.U
honour several "builders" of our the Faculty side, and a group of able
Faculty who have helped make the and willing workers has been put
University of Alberta one of Canada’s together by Doris and Charalee to
finest law schools. represent the Bar.
Profile: The Class of 1994
Mena L. Taylor (2L)
42% of second year class is female,
JER class of 1944 graduated a mere and 42% of the Class of 1994 are
ten students, with not a female among female.
them. Thirty years later, in 1974,
only 16 of the graduates from a class Resident/Non-resident Ratio
of 152 were female. Now in 1992,
the University of Alberta is graduating A resident is "one who normally has
classes of about 180 students each resided in Alberta, the Northwest
year, females making up at least 40% Territories, or the Yukon" for one
and mature and aboriginal students year prior to admission (U of A
making up 10% of the class. Calendar, s. 102.2). The second year
class has one of the highest
This article introduces you to your percentages of non-residents in recent
"learned friends" of the nineties — years, with non-residents making up
who they are, and what it took for 31% of that class. 12% of the third
them to make the grade. year class is non-resident, and 20% of
the first year class is non-resident.
Class Sizes and Averages
Mature and Aboriginal Applicants Professor David Percy, Chair of the Admissions
As the number of applications into law
Committee, with Kim Wilson and Gloria
school has increased over the past few Ten percent of the seats available in Strohschein, Admissions Secretaries.
years, the class average has also risen. first year are reserved for mature and
The third year class (Class of 1992) aboriginal applicants. Nevertheless, (3 males, 7 females) and 8 aboriginal
was formed out of a pool of 1193 all applicants are initially classed and students (8 males).
applications; the average Grade Point evaluated together. Thus, a student
Average (G.P.A.) was 7.5 and the who could be validly classified as a 2-Year Undergraduate
average LSAT score was in the 66 mature student may already have been Applicants
percentile. admitted in the regular applicant
category, and not as a mature student. An applicant with only two years of
The second year class (Class of 1993) study may be considered for admission.
was formed out a pool of 1320 The mature student is described as "an if he or she has an average of at least
applications; its average G.P.A. was applicant who is 30 years of age or 7.5 and an LSAT score in the 62
7.5 with an LSAT percentile of 80. older, and who has been away for percentile.
some time from a programme of full-
The first year class (Class of 1994) time study at a _ post-secondary Apart from students in the mature or
had the highest admission standards, institution. A lesser standard of aboriginal category, there were 12
with a G.P.A. of 7.7 and an LSAT academic achievement than the regular males and 8 females admitted after
score in the 83 percentile. The applicant will be accepted as two years of study in the third year
Admissions Office received 1494 satisfactory provided it is balanced by class. In the second year class, 4
applications this year. a record of work and/or personal males and 4 females were admitted in
achievement" (Law Admissions Blue this way, and in the first year class,
Male/Female Ratio Sheet). the number of students admitted after
two years shrank to 3 females.
The male/female ratio has remained
The Class of 1992 has 15 mature
relatively constant in the past decade,
students (9 male, 6 female) and 1
with roughly four out of ten students
aboriginal student (female). The Class
being female. This corresponds to the
of 1993 has 12 mature students (7
ratio of male to female applications
males, 5 females) and 3 aboriginal
received by the faculty. There are of
students (1 male, 2 females). The
the Class of 1992, 40% are female, Class of 1994 has 10 mature students
Law School Increases Commitment to
Teaching of Ethics
Perspectives Day held for
Greg Heaton (dL)
1st Year Students
As little as 15 years ago, the phrase
A Perspectives and Professional
"legal ethics" would seldom be heard
Responsibility Day, coordinated by
at a university, unless a first-year
Professor Catherine Bell, was held
English student was asked to provide
for the first year students in early
an example of an oxymoron. In the
January.
interim, lawyers and legal academics
have come to realize that knowing
The program was divided into three
right from wrong in a_ profession
main portions. In the morning a
fraught with ethical pitfalls is far from
session on Law and Professional
a matter of common sense.
Responsibility was held. Students
viewed two video presentations
In keeping with that new mood the
which raised issues of professional
University is pleased to welcome Brent
responsibility and were divided into
Cotter, Canada’s leading scholar in the
five groups to discuss the issues in
field of professional responsibility and
further detail. Professors Anne
legal ethics, as its first Visiting
McLellan, Bruce Elman, Patti
Professor on the Legal Profession and
James, Brent Cotter and David
Legal Education. Professor Cotter
Schneiderman led the small group
teaches two sections of professional
Professor W. Brent Cotter, discussions.
responsibility and a seminar in legal
Visiting Professor on the Legal
education at the Faculty in addition to Profession and Legal Education
The session on Law _ and
a number of _ special teaching
Professional Responsibility was
assignments here and at the University boardrooms of Alberta is Professor followed by a session on Issues of
of Calgary. Cotter’s goal. One of his aims is to Race in the Criminal Justice
convince the present and future system. Members of the Cawsey
"It’s a light teaching load," he says. generations of lawyers that ethics are Task Force as well as a law student
"It allows me to pursue a number of not simply about being a decent chap. (former RCMP officer) participated
research projects and_ special
in a panel discussion.
initiatives." These projects include "A lot of ethical behaviour is not
supervising the development of a intuitive," he says. "The subject In the afternoon a session on Law
professional responsibility casebook, matter has to move from a concern and Legal Perspectives was held.
writing academic articles on such over things like courtesy and being a Students were asked to read the
subjects as conflict of interest and law gentlemen to more substantial issues case of Baby M and this case was
school admissions, initiating an like conflict of interest." discussed from _ various
empirical study of the career paths of
perspectives. Professors Len
law school graduates, serving on the The adversarial system is another Pollock, Gerry Robertson and
Law Society of Alberta committee seldom examined area, but one which Annalise Acorn gave students their
drafting a new code of conduct and places lawyers in situations where perspectives on the case. Professor
helping to plan next year’s National pedestrian notions of right and wrong Acorn led the students in a very
Conference on the Legal Profession. have little place. “Academic study informative and_ thoughtful
unmasks a lot of unstated assumptions discussion.
The overriding goal of the Visiting and that make people uncomfortable,"
Professorship is to provide Professor he says. "I don’t mind that in the Students were very supportive of
Cotter with an opportunity to explore least. Too much comfort is not a the objectives of the program and
the field of Professional good thing. Fortunately, there’s lots plans are already underway for
Responsibility. To find ways to bring of room for discomfort in legal 1993.0
the results of that exploration to the ethics."
classrooms, the courtrooms and the
Bernard Dickens —
Law Foundation
Inaugural Picard Lecturer
Funds Research on
Computers & Law
Bo Franson and his team at ALITA
(Alberta Legal Information
Technology Assessment) have
completed the first two years of their
Alberta Law Foundation funded
project. Amongst other things, they
surveyed the legal research habits of
lawyers, and expect to publish a report
of the survey shortly. Two books on
legal research were published under
their auspices this fall — Lawyer’s
Professor Gerald Robertson, Chair of the Health Law Institute is shown at the inaugural Picard
Guide to the Online Galaxy and
Lecture in Health Law with Justice Ellen Picard and Professor Bernard Dickens who delivered the
Searching Canadian Law Online.
lecture.
Ellen was held in _ the Faculty Both are available from the Legal
O. November 21, 1991, the Health Lounge.0 Education Society of Alberta.
Law Institute held the first of what is
to be an annual lecture series in health
law in honour of Madam Justice Ellen
Picard, who founded the Health Law Public Lecture:
Institute. Madam Justice Picard has Sexual Abuse of Patients
had a profound impact on the health
law field and a distinguished career.
In response to widespread public
Her book, entitled The Legal Liability
interest regarding sexual abuse of
of Doctors and Hospitals in Canada,
patients by physicians, The Health
is one of the leading texts in the area
Law Institute is sponsoring a public
and is used by both legal and
lecture entitled "Sexual Abuse of
healthcare professionals throughout
Patients: The Ontario Experience"
Canada. Madam Justice Picard has
on March 14, 1992 at 10:30 a.m in
recently been appointed Vice-President
Room 231/237 of the Law Centre.
of the Law Reform Commission of
Ms. Marilou McPhedran,
Canada.
Chairperson of the Task Force on The Microcomputer laboratory, funded by the
Sexual Abuse of Patients for the Alberta Law Foundation.
The inaugural Picard Lecture in
College of Physicians and Surgeons
Health Law was delivered by Bernard Two CD-ROMs were mounted on the
of Ontario will discuss the findings
M. Dickens, Professor of Law and local area network in the computer
of the Task Force and the resultant
Medicine at the University of Toronto. laboratory this fall. Both of these are
recommendations.
Professor Dickens, a good friend of indexes to legal periodical literature,
Madam Justice Picard, is a leading and represent the latest technology in
Ms. McPhedran is a graduate of
scholar in the area of health law. His the area. Students and faculty are able
Osgoode Hall Law School and a
lecture, entitled “Implications of to do research in the last ten years of
member of the Order of Canada
Health Care Professionals’ Legal this literature as if they were accessing
since 1985. Recently she assumed
Liability," was well attended by an online database. This development
the newly created position of
members of the legal and healthcare was made possible through a special
Corporate Director, Healthy City
professions from across the province. grant. from the Alberta Law
Toronto for the Corporation of the
Following the lecture a reception for Foundation. 0
City of Toronto.
Centre for Constitutional Studies Focuses
on Interdisciplinary Work
Department of History and eminent popular newsletter, the Forum, with
The past ten months have been
scholars such as Martin Friedland, contributions from scholars and
hectic ones for the Centre for
Don Stuart, and Jean-Paul Brodeur. personalities across the country and
Constitutional Studies. In May 1991,
internationally including Clyde Wells,
the Centre hosted an interdisciplinary
Alan Cairns, and Lise Bissonnette as
national think-tank on constitutional
well as the Centre’s journal, published
reform in the aftermath of the Allaire
annually in conjunction with the
and Bélanger-Campeau Reports from
Alberta Law Review, Constitutional
Québec. Joining with Anne McLellan
Studies/Etudes constitutionnelles.
institutional
and Bruce Elman of the Faculty of
Law, and Allan Tupper of the
In the fall of 1991, J. Peter Meekison,
Department of Political Science were
Belzberg Chair in Constitutional
political scientists such as Peter
Studies, delivered his inaugural
Russell, Roger Gibbins and Pierre
Belzberg lecture entitled "Canada’s
Fournier, and legal scholars such as
Constitutional Options." This article
Katherine Swinton, Andreé Lajoie,
will be included in the Centre’s
and Joseph Magnet.
forthcoming special issue of the
Alberta Law Review.
The Centre for Constitutional Studies
is an interdisciplinary project of the
Faculty of Law together with
Ethel Blondin addresses the symposium on representatives of the Departments of
Women and Constitutional Reform as Linda History and Political Science. The
Trimble of the University of Alberta looks on. Centre has been up and running for
almost four years now, and _ its
Also in October, the Centre hosted a accomplishments have been substantial
conference on women and indeed.0
constitutional reform. Over 150
McDonald Lecture on
registrants were treated to over twenty
speakers from across the country, "Reconceiving Rights"
including Anne McLellan and Annalise
Acorn from the Faculty of Law, Susan
Professor Jennifer Nedelsky,
Jackel from Canadian Studies, Linda
Professor of Political Science at the
Trimble from Political Science, and
University of Toronto, will present
alumnus Sheila Greckol as well as
the McDonald Lecture on March
political scientists Jill Vickers and
Chris Braiden of the Edmonton Police 19, 1992. It will be in Room 237
Diane Lamoureux, and legal scholars
Department addresses the Police Powers of the Law Centre.
Symposium as David Schneiderman of the Mary Jane Mossman and Sheilah
Centre for Constitutional Studies looks on. Martin.
The lecture is’ entitled
"Reconceiving Rights". The
Two Centre books were launched in
McDonald Lecture is an annual
In October 1991, the Centre hosted an 1991, both edited by the Centre’s
event, sponsored by the Centre for
interdisciplinary conference, the Executive Director, David
Constitutional Studies through the
culmination of a two-year research Schneiderman: Language and the
generous support of Justice David
program, on the police power in State: The Law and Politics of
C. McDonald.
democratic societies. Papers were Identity and Freedom of Expression
presented by Jim Robb of the Faculty and the Charter. In addition, the
of Law and Rod McLeod of the Centre continued publishing its highly
Indigenous Law Program Director Pleased
with Aboriginal Enrollment
courtesy of Folio
Tutorials have been implemented, a
A: unprecedented 14 aboriginal support group called the Aboriginal
students are currently enrolled in the Law Students’ Association has been
Faculty of Law. established and a $5,000 annual award
for a first-year aboriginal law student
"We’ve definitely established a strong is awarded on the basis of academic
native presence in the Law School," merit. All of these enable aboriginal
says Aboriginal Law Students’ students to adapt to an environment
Association President Troy Chalifoux, that for many is quite foreign, says
who points out that the aboriginal Chartrand.
students all share a _ sense of
impatience. "We want to see It’s also a cultural shock for aboriginal
significant changes in our lifetimes." students to have to learn laws that they
consider are not only foreign to their
Larry Chartrand,
Nine aboriginal students are now experience, but oppressive and racist Director, Indigenous Law Program
enrolled in first-year law, one is in as well, says Chartrand. However,
second-year and four are in third-year. Faculty members have been very
And according to the Faculty of Law supportive of the Indigenous Law Chartrand, who teaches a native
Indigenous Law Program Director, Program and have acknowledged and studies course for the Yellowhead
Larry Chartrand, who was hired by respected the cultural differences in Tribal Council, also wants to develop
the Faculty last year to boost their teaching, Chartrand observes. a course within the Faculty which
enrollment, the program is partly would deal with traditional aboriginal
responsible for the Faculty’s success Chalifoux, a Métis who was born and law. Chalifoux, too, acknowledges
in attracting aboriginal students. raised in Edmonton and earned an that changes are occurring within the
undergraduate history degree from the curriculum and that bigger changes are
"Some of the students would not have U of A before enrolling in Law, says just around the corner.
enrolled here," he says about the professors in the Faculty have to teach
program’s impact on encouraging what the law is and not what it should Self-government for aboriginal peoples
students to apply. be. "The way we’re trained to think will become a reality, he says, and |
here is in a very linear way, yet many governments are going to have to
Chartrand, who has been travelling of us [aboriginal students] think more come to terms with that. Obviously,
throughout the prairie provinces holistically." that has implications for law schools,
explaining the Faculty’s program and as well.
encouraging aboriginal students to Curriculum is changing says
submit applications, is optimistic that Chartrand. In Property Law, for "We all have selfish reasons for being
the program will see even more example, there is now an entire here, though," says Chalifoux. "But
applicants in the future. He plans to chapter on aboriginal title. And in we all share a common purpose — we
recruit in Ontario and_ British Constitutional Law, a section dealing want something better for our people.
Columbia.
with aboriginal issues is included. The priority right now is just to g et
Two seminars — one on Special through law school." For his part,
Once the aboriginal students are in the Topics. in Native Law, the other on Chalifoux wants to practise law in
program, the challenge is to keep them Aboriginal Peoples and the Law — Edmonton and to represent aboriginal
there. Chartrand says the students’
are offered to second and third year people.
first mid-term exams are always a
students by Professor Catherine Bell.
shock (as they are for most Law A panel on Aboriginals and the
students), but they give students a
Criminal Justice System was held
better idea of what’s expected of them.
during Perspectives Day for Ist year
students.
Meekison Serving as Constitutional guarantee and protect the distinct
culture. My sense is that people are
Resource Person
looking for ways to recognize this
courtesy of Folio distinctiveness." Asymmetrical
federalism, Dr. Meekison continues,
seems to have taken hold to some
extent across the country. The issue
of Senate reform is now seen as a
major issue he adds.
Asked whether he has faith that a
consensus will emerge, Dr. Meekison
said yes. However, by accident and
not by design, the country seems to
have stumbled into a new process of
constitutional reform. One lesson the
country learned from the failed Meech
Lake constitutional accord was that
public consultation is important.
People are growing impatient,
however. For some, the constitutional
issues are not the primary issues the
Dr. J. Peter Meekison, Belzberg Professor of Constitutional Studies, country should be tackling. “Some
delivers his inaugural Belzberg Lecture. people feel that this [constitutional
Minister of Federal and debate and process] is detracting from
As a result of the latest round of Intergovernmental Affairs for the the real issues," he says, adding that
constitutional negotiations people are Government of Alberta in the late 70s some people believe the more
being compelled to ask themselves one and early 80s and is now advising the important questions have to do with
very fundamental question: How government on constitutional matters. the economy.
important is Canada to me? Peter
Meekison, a long-time observer and "My sense is that we don’t know the Asked whether we are heading for a
scholar on constitutional issues finds, full extent of the agenda yet; some more decentralized federation, Dr.
"there’s a growing sense that the provincial committees haven’t reported Meekison says, We’ve got a
country is very important to yet," says the Belzberg Professor of contradiction here. Some people don’t
Canadians." Meekison, formerly Constitutional Studies. But the agenda want to see decentralization, but yet
Vice-President (Academic) of the may get pruned to three primary we know that Quebec is pushing in
University of Alberta, a political issues: aboriginal questions; Senate that direction. So does that mean
scientist, and outstanding reform; and issues of concern to - asymmetry?
Constitutional scholar was appointed Quebec.
Belzberg Professor of Constitutional "When I looked at this about a year
Studies, effective July 1, 1992. "If you ask most people they’ll ago, I felt the only way to do it is to
acknowledge that Quebec is different," have a whole series of provisions in
"There’s a tremendous love of country says Dr Meekison. And when you the Constitution that will allow for
and a pride in our accomplishments," examine the existing Constitution, flexibility. That’s what we’re trying
says Dr. Meekison, who is there are provisions for recognizing to develop: ways to make the
participating in the federal and accommodating the distinctiveness Constitution flexible and adaptable to
government’s conferences on of Quebec. The recognition of its meet the challenge of the next century.
constitutional renewal being held civil code is but one example.
across the country. “There’s a clear "Where it gets difficult is when Dr. Meekison will be teaching an
willingness to see what we can do to distinct is interpreted to mean special. advanced constitutional law course
maintain our unity." entitled "Federal/Provincial Relations"
"What we’re trying to find today is a during the 1992/93 academic year.
Dr. Meekison, served as the Deputy late 20th century equivalent in order to
Comings & Goings is Justice Committee Chairperson of
the Indigenous Bar Association.
Dean Christian on Leave Responsibility, Jurisprudence and Bowker Professor of Law
Women and the Law.
Timothy J. Christian has accepted a Professor Dale Gibson is the Bowker
renewal of his appointment as Dean Professor of Law for the year 1991-
for five years. This year Dean 1992. He has a B.A. and LL.B. from
Christian has been on adminstrative the University of Manitoba and an
leave. He headed the Human Rights LL.M. from Harvard. Professor
Inquiry into the Aryan Nations Cross Gibson served as the first Belzberg
Burning in Provost, Alberta. For Professor of Constitutional Studies and
three months during Fall Term, he has been constitutional consultant to
was a Visiting Professor at the both the Government of Manitoba and
University of Niigata in Japan. He the Government of Canada. His
will be in Taiwan, Vietnam and major fields of imterest are
Cambodia in Winter Term. Constitutional Law, Canadian Legal
History and Torts.
Anne McLellan Acting Dean
Professor Annalise Acorn
Professors on Leave
While Dean Christian is on Professor Bell received her B.A. from
administrative leave, Anne McLellan is the University of Regina and her During his sabbatical leave, Professor
Acting Dean. Professor McLellan has LL.B. from the University of John Law is at the University of
been with the Faculty for ten years. Saskatchewan. In 1989 she received Victoria furthering his research in
She has been active in the Centre for her LL.M. from the University of legal history. He is also teaching a
Constitutional Studies, and has British Columbia. She currently course in Legal History.
represented the Faculty of Law locally teaches Property Law, Native Law,
and nationally on many issues. and a seminar on Aboriginal Self- Professor Bruce Ziff, who completed
government. his term as Associate Dean June 30,
New Associate Dean Appointed 1991, is on leave at Wollongong
University in Australia.
Professor Bruce Elman was appointed
Associate Dean for two_ years, Faculty Exchanges
beginning in July of 1991. Professor
Elman came to the Faculty in 1975, Three faculty members are involved in
and has chaired the Board of the exchanges or secondments this year.
Centre for Constitutional Studies since Professor Rod Wood is with the
it was established in 1987. Alberta Law Reform Institute working
on Non-Consensual Liens.
Tenure Track Appointments
Professor Jim Robb is on exchange
The Faculty of Law recently with the Department of the Attorney
announced two tenure track Professor Catherine Bell General’s Constitutional and Energy
appointments. Professors Annalise Branch. This exchange is for one
Acom and Catherine Bell were Indigenous Law Director year, beginning July 1, 1991.
appointed assistant professors of law
commencing July 1, 1991. The Faculty of Law appointed Mr. Professor Linda Reif just completed an
Larry Chartrand as Director of its eight month secondment with the
Professor Acorn received her B.A. and Indigenous Law Program. Mr. province’s Ombudsman’s Offfice,
LL.B. (class of ‘84) from the Chartrand has a B.Ed. from the where she acted as Legal Counsel.
University of Alberta. In 1987 she University of Alberta and obtained his Professor Reif is the Faculty’s
received her B.C.L. from Oxford LL.B. from Osgoode Hall Law School representative to the International
University. She is currently teaching in 1990. He is currently a member of Ombudsman Institute, which is located
Constitutional Law, Professional the Law Society of Upper Canada and in the Law Centre.
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