Highlights of Law Day 2007...

Law Day, the largest public legal education event of its kind in the country, continues to grow with Law Day 2007 seeing one of the most notable expansions of the program to date. With upwards of 8,000 participants province-wide in 2007, Ontario Law Week celebrations are the largest in Canada. New initiatives to reach out to youth-at-risk and Francophone communities in the province compliment a growing level of interest and participation in existing Law Day programs from every provincal region.

The 2007 events, which ran from April 16th to 20th, 2007 included projects and activities in nearly every region of the province. Hundreds of lawyers, judges, teachers, students and the public participated in various Law Day programs illustrating this year's theme "FREEDOM".

Law Day started in 1983, when Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau sent a letter to the Canadian Bar Association (CBA) proclaiming Law Day in April of each year to celebrate the enactment of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms which was signed in 1982. Twenty-two years into that tradition, Bar associations across the country have educated and informed the public about the role and importance of the law and the justice system in people`s lives through various  week-long celebrations.

Although the event is carried out by many branches of the CBA, none can match Ontario`s for size, scope and variety of events. In Law Day 2007 was made possible by funding provided by the Law Day partners and the generous support of the Law Foundation of Ontario and ALERT (Advancement Of Legal Education And Research Trust - the charitable arm of the Ontario Bar Association).  2007 saw partners the Ontario Bar Association, Ontario Justice Educations Network (OJEN), Association of French Speaking Jurists (AJEFO) and Law Society of Upper Canada organize and facilitate a wide range of educational programs.

Opening Ceremony

Law Day 2007 was officially launched with the Opening Ceremony on Monday, April 16 at Central Technical School.  The auditorium was surrounded by Law Day 2007 Photography Contest winners entries and secondary school students from the Toronto and Catholic District School Board heard encouraging words in both English and French about the law and its importance to you. Opened by the music of Cedarbrae Collegiate Insitute Steel Band and Central Technical School the master of ceremonies Leslie Roberts, from Global Television did a superb job of presiding over the events. Among other distinguished guests and speakers were the Honourable R. Roy McMurtry, Chief Justice of Ontario, the Honourable Heather Forster Smith, Chief Justice of the Superior Court of Justice, the Honourable Brian Lennox, Attorney General of Ontario Michael Bryant, and Greg Goulin, Vice-President of the Ontario Bar Association. Tahnee Pantig and Saeed Sylvam, two secdonary school students themselves gave very inspirational speeches and their accomplishments were very moving to all the participants in the Opening Ceremony. The Ceremonies concluded with an inquisitive and eye opening Law Symposia Plenary Session by Alan Borovoy.

The Grade 5 Poster Contest, now in its 16th year, is open to all Ontario Grade 5 classes.  Legal Aid Ontario welcomed poster submissions in English and French. Students were encouraged to create a poster that depicted the 2007 Law Day theme.  This year, approximately 48 schools took part and 1500 entries were received – of which 43 regional winners were selected.  The posters were identified to the judges by number only.

The Ontario Bar Association Photography Contest is open to all Ontario students ages 12 to 18.  Again students were asked to create powerful photographic images of what the Charter of Rights and Freedoms meant to them using this year's theme - "FREEDOM".  For the first time digital submissions were accepted this year; allowing for better inclusion.  The Ontario Bar Association donated 100 disposable cameras to the Toronto Children’s Breakfast Club, thereby encouraging greater participation. “I was delighted to lead this project with the support of professional photographers who served as judges in order to give children and youth of diverse cultural and socio-economic backgrounds an opportunity to creatively experience their appreciation of the law,” said Deidre Newman, active Law Day Committee member and long-time coordinator of the program. “The sensitivity, exceptional quality and diligence of the student photographers was inspiring and deeply appreciated by all.”

Photography Contest Winning entry by Rebecca Simbhudas

On Tuesday, April 10th the Law in the Mall program took place at the York Gate Mall, located at Jane and Finch.  A Mock Trial (based on a purse snatching routine) took place, with lawyers and judges filling the court roles.  Two juries were created, one consisting of students from local schools the other, of invited community leaders and mall shop-owners.  The jury members provided a verdict and participants and guests were able to ask questions of the justice system volunteers.  In addition, this year's events featured display stands providing law related resources and information on the law and career options to students and members of the general public. Also in attendance with a number of his officers was Police Chief Incumbent, Bill Blair.  Rick Gosling, a community leader involved in outreach projects for impoverished children and youth-at-risk including the Children's Breakfast Club, which serves over 3,000 children between the ages of 5 and 19 years of age initiated this program and the Law Day Committee helped facilitate the project. 

In late April, the final portion of the English Charter Challenge took place.  The Charter Challenge is an online simulation for high school students presented by video conference.  It has been created to help students gain a better understanding of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.  It involves students in a collaborative, decision-making situation based on a real world scenario.  In this case, a school principal permitted police officers access to a school locker to search for drugs on school property without a search warrant.  As a result of finding marijuana in a student's locker the police laid charges. The trial Judge admitted the evidence of drugs seized. The students were invited to make written submissions on appeal and took the position of the appellant or the respondent Crown. Students were offered the assistance of online mentors. Ultimately, Cawthra Park Secondary School was selected as the winning appellant and Centre Wellington Distract High School was selected as the winning respondent and were presented their awards after the final trial at Osgoode Hall in Toronto.

A number of new initiatives were undertaken this year to promote and tailor Law Day activities to a predominantly French-speaking community of students, teachers and lawyers. The French counterpart to the Charter Challenge program was presented with the drafting of a different fact scenario written for the French program by OBA member and Law Day Committee member David Leitch. The French Charter Challenge fact scenario dealt with the entry of Haitian immigrants and the Canadian Government's decision over how to distribute them. In addition, three Law Day-related television shows are to be presented on TFO, including VOLT and Panaroma aimed at educating young francophone communities. 

On Monday, April 23rd, 146 students from French high schools across the GTA attended the Toronto Journée du droit (French Law Day) programs at the OBA Conference Centre organized by AJEFO (Association des juristes d'expression française de l'Ontario). Participating schools were from North York (Étienne Brulée), Toronto (College français and Monseigneur de charbonnel), and from Aurora (Cardinal Carter). The fact scenario was based on an actual civil rights case about the right to vote under the age of 18 and allowed students to better familiarize themselves with section 15 of the Charter.  Along with the trial presided over by a French speaking judge, lawyers and police officer the students took part in an educational group activity, and job fair and panel.  Along with the Toronto Journée du droit programs, AJEFO toured the province throughout Law Week and brought French Law Day to Cornwall, Ottawa, Orléans, Hearst and Sudbury.

Complementing the already broad range of Law Day activities, the Ontario Justice Education Network's Great Debate took place at Osgoode Hall on Wednesday, April 18th.  The Great Debate is targeted to teachers and each year top legal practitioners and professionals debate a topical and important area of the law.  The topic for this year's Great Debate was "Arbitration in a Religious Context: a step forward or a step back?"  The Great Debate, now in its fifth year, was a resounding success.  Opening remarks were made by the Honourable R. Roy McMurtry and the Debate was moderated by Sonia Ouellet from AJEFO.  At a reception hosted by the Law Society of Upper Canada, audience members, speakers and members of the judiciary continued the debate in the beautiful surroundings of the Law Society’s Convocation Hall.

Happy New Canadian

On Thursday, April 17th a special Citizenship Ceremony took place at the Ontario Bar Association Conference Centre.  Fifty-five citizens were sworn in and came from more than 20 different countries around the world as far as Korea, India, Italy, Argentina and Chile to name a few. Judge Pheonix presided and welcoming words were expressed by OBA Citizenship & Immigration Executive member Marshall E. Drukarsh. OMNI TV's Staney So offered congratulatory remarks before a musical interlude was provided by Bobbi Maxwell - who sang the National Anthem in English French and Ojibwe. “We are very lucky to be able to live in such a wonderful place”, said So in his remarks to the candidates.  

On Thursday, April 19th the Phone-a-Lawyer program took place, whereby lawyers offered free legal advice to members of the public. As part of the Phone-a-Lawyer program, an advertisement promoting the program was placed in local community newspapers announcing the names and contact details of the lawyers that were participating in the community and the date of the event.  On the scheduled day the lawyers in the program accepted calls from the public between 2:30pm and 5:00pm and provided general legal information to those who contacted them.  This year, 11 regions signed up to participate with nearly a hundred lawyers participating in the program including some French-speaking lawyers. Sean Adams the Cornwall area co-ordinator reported thirty-one lawyers participated in Cornwall`s Phone-a-Lawyer program.

During the Law Week elementary schools across Ontario were visited by lawyers to learn about the criminal justice system, and participated in a mock trial where they played any number of roles including witnesses, lawyers, judges, and juries.  The Elementary School Mock Trial fact scenario involved a young alien named "Quirky" charged with shoplifting.  On the aliens' planet they don't "buy things" the same way we do on earth.  They don't use money.  When they want something they just pick it up.  70 classrooms participated this year and 62 lawyers volunteered in the program.

This year the Secondary School Mock Trial Tournament was extremely successful with almost twice as many schools signing up for the program.  Dressed in traditional robes of the profession, the students presented their respective cases before a panel of judges from the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.  This year students took part form across Ontario, including continued participation from northern Ontario. This year eight schools were qualified and were invited to Toronto for an overnight trip on April 19th as guests of the OBA to participate in the quarter-final, semifinal and final trials. The tournament winners were Mentor College from Mississauga.
                 
                            
                    1st place winners of the 2007 Secondary School Mock Trial Tournament - Mentor College

Shelley Lynn Timms, Chair of the Secondary School Mock Trial Tournament indicated that the participation of the judges in the final round is a highlight of the entire Mock Trial experience for the students and their teachers.  All of the justices commented on how well-prepared the various students were, and remarked on their composure in the court rooms.

Law Day Banquet – (top) Kelly Smith, Law Day Chair and Alex Tarantino, Elementary School Mock Trials Chair.
(bottom) Heather McGee, OBA President, Chief Justice Brian Lennox and far right Chief Justice Heather Forster Smith

The results of the day's trials were not announced until later in the evening at the Law Day Banquet, hosted by the Ontario Bar Association.  Together with the Student Silent Auction, the Law Day Banquet brought together over 130 guests to celebrate Law Week.  Guests, who included student partcipants, teachers, lawyers and judges gathered at the Ontario Bar Association Conference Centre to celebrate the the successes of Ontario's Law Week; the biggest Law Day festivities in Canada.  Welcoming remarks at the Law Day Banquet were made by James Morton, Ontario Bar Association President and then Chief Justice, Brian Lennox.  

After dinner there was a presentation to the Photography Contest winners, Charter Challenge finalists and a presentation to the Secondary School Mock Trial Tournament final eight schools and winners. This included the Secondary School Mock Trial award for excellence in oral advocacy.  All participants and teams worked exceptionally hard, expanding their creativity, public-speaking, oral advocacy, and presentation skills all the while getting greater insight into the Canadian judicial system.