Prix

The Society is proud to grant the following awards and prizes.

Human Rights Award

Established in 1994, the Society’s Human Rights Award is presented to an individual who has demonstrated a sustained contribution to, or has been influential in the advancement of, human rights and fundamental freedoms.  This is a significant award, since it represents the very core of the Society’s mission. While this award has been presented annually for a number of years, it remains in the Society’s discretion to decide not to award it if a deserving candidate has not been canvassed.  The Executive approves the decision to award the Human Rights Award.

Past winners of the award include Irwin Cotler and LGen Roméo Dallaire (Ret’d), Senator. For a full list of Human Rights Awards winners, please click here.

Past Presidents’ Medal

As their special contribution to the Society’s 50th Anniversary celebrated in 1998, its Past Presidents established and funded the Past Presidents’ Medal, to be awarded from time to time on behalf of the Society to a worthy recipient who meets the following criteria: is a current or former member of the Society, who has achieved excellence in the legal profession, who has made a significant contribution of service to the community and who embodies the highest ethical standards. 

The selection of a recipient of the Medal is made by committee of Past Presidents, including the incumbent President ex officio. The President of the Society convenes a meeting of the selection committee once per year, the purpose of which is to determine whether there is a candidate deserving of the award.

The selection committee informs the Society’s Executive Committee of its recommendation of a recipient of the Past Presidents’ Medal.  The Executive Committee does not have the right to veto such recommendation, except if 75% of the members of the Executive Committee in attendance at such meeting oppose the recommendation.

The inaugural presentation of the Medal was made to Yoine Goldstein at the Society’s 50th Anniversary Gala Dinner in November 1998.  The second recipient was Mr. Justice Herbert Marx in June 2001.

Scholastic Achievement Prizes

Almost from its establishment in 1948, the Society has awarded prizes for scholastic achievement by students in the faculties of Law at both McGill University and Université de Montréal.  These prizes are:

McGill University:  A prize in the amount of $200.00 to the student with the Highest Standing in First Year.  The amount awarded was raised from $100 to $200 by an Executive decision in 1998-1999. At the time, discussions were held with Law Faculty authorities in an attempt to change the prize designation to the field of human rights, but several prizes already exist in this category.  The reason for the attempt to change was that it was more in keeping with the Society’s objectives and there are also other prizes for highest standing in first year.

Université de Montréal: a prize in the amount of $200.00 awarded to the student with the highest standing in Constitutional Law I and II. At the Université de Montréal, law students take both of these constitutional law courses in the first year.  Until 1998-1999, the Society had awarded two separate prizes of $75 each. 

Since 1998, the Society has invited the recipients, together with the Dean of the Faculty of Law of each University, or his/her designate, to be the Society’s guests at one of its dinner meetings, at which time they are introduced and a formal presentation of a certificate and a cheque is made.  The meeting selected for such presentation is generally that at which the Society invites Bar School students/First year call lawyers as its guests.