Chrystie Stewart: CLA Student Chapter Training
Every November CLA brings the Presidents of our Student Chapters to Ottawa to attend sessions on the year's theme and to learn more about how to run a CLA Chapter. This year 13 student Presidents from coast to coast attended sessions on transitional justice and best practices on how to run a CLA Chapter. We even had one Chapter President Skype in from the University of New Brunswick. Our newest Student Chapter - Thompson Rivers - attended CLA Training for the first time and Co-President Chrystie Stewart has provided a short summary of the Training sessions.
Student Chapter Presidents attending Sessions at the Canadian Council in International Law ConferenceAs a student at Thompson Rivers University, one of Canada’s newest law schools, it is an exciting time to be starting a legal education. We belong to a privileged cohort, and we are lucky to be part of it. Moreover, Canadian lawyers have something valuable to offer society, especially in applying and adhering to CLA’s motto – “Using law to improve lives”.
As a new law school, we have the opportunity/responsibility to assign some values that will guide the direction of the school for future students and faculty. As such, Canadian Lawyers Abroad, gives the chance to not only use a Canadian legal education abroad, but to learn from other judicial systems and mechanisms all the while making a positive impact in the lives of those who need the assistance of trained lawyers.When I attended CLA training in Ottawa this November, I expected to be inspired by Canadian legal integrity in the form of Canadian trained lawyers talking about their global impact. The CLA did not disappoint. A unique advantage we have in Canada, is that we can be trained in the same country to advocate in both the common law and the civil law, where the general Canadian value system underlies both systems.Linda Bianchi, current Counsel at the Public Prosecution Office of Canada, but previous Prosecutor working in the Appeals Division at the ICTR, spoke very candidly about her role in the International Tribunal. Linda also highlighted that it was Canadian lawyers, because of their dual education in common and civil law, who were able to participate on both sides of the trials. Justice was of utmost importance to the survivors of the genocide, and integral to Rwandans being able to continue with their lives in any meaningful way.For the Rwandan genocide transitional justice was not only an issue for prosecution but for personal reflection. In building off of Linda’s speech we were also fortunate to hear from Eloge Butera later in the day at a Reception at the Residence of the American Ambassador. Eloge’s inspiring remarks were a reflection of the personal journey that each individual will take to strive for peace, justice and reconciliation.
Student Chapter Presidents with Mrs. Jacobson, Catherine McKenna and Eloge ButeraWe also heard from Viola Thomas, from Community Relations at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. The Commission was established to learn the truth about residential schools and to inform Canadians about the experience of Aboriginal, Inuit and Metis people in being sent to the schools. It was clear to me that the correlation between Ms. Bianchi and Ms. Thomas’ talk was that Aboriginal people feel like they live in a different country, effectively living very different experiences from other Canadians.If we are to reconcile this disparity, various transitional justice mechanisms must be put to use and informing all of the Canadian public about past Aboriginal experiences can be the starting point. The reasons that lawyers work abroad, particularly in the field of human rights, are transferrable to the disenfranchised here at home.And so, when I reflect to what I am going to bring back to Canada’s newest law school, it is the understanding of these values in the hope that they can be passed on to the coming years of privileged law students.Writing from the traditional territory of the Secwepemc.Chrystie Stewart