Sidney B. Linden Award
Legal Aid Ontario created the Sidney B. Linden Award to honour exceptional individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to helping low-income people, and have given their time and expertise towards ensuring access to justice in Ontario.
The award is named in honour of Justice Sidney B. Linden, Legal Aid Ontario's first chair of the board of directors. Justice Linden has been involved with legal aid for over 30 years, and his distinguished professional career has been characterized by a genuine commitment to issues concerning access to justice.
2010 Sidney B. Linden Award
Legal Aid Ontario's Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Michael Bossin has been selected as the 2010 recipient of the Sidney B. Linden Award.
Previous Winners
Since its inception, the Sidney B. Linden Award has been presented to five deserving recipients, including Michael Bossin, Barbara Jackman, J. Robert Kellermann, Paul Copeland and the late Dianne Martin.
Barbara Jackman- 2008
Barbara Jackman has earned the reputation for being one of Canada’s most effective advocates for immigration and refugee rights. Her achievements, which span 30 years, include:
- Director of organizations such as the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, the Working Women Community Centre, INTERCEDE, and Defence for Children International.
- Delegate to the Trans-Atlantic Legal Exchange on Refugee Law from 1986-7, and the Northern Ireland Peace Process Fact-Finding Mission in 1995 as an international human rights activist
- Instructor in the Bar Admission Program, lecturer at the Faculties of Law at Queen’s University, the University of Toronto and at Osgoode Hall Law School
- Author of various paper and articles and contributor to four books
J. Robert Kellermann - 2007
J. Robert Kellermann has been a champion for vulnerable people in Ontario throughout his nearly 40-year legal career:
- Provides legal support for groups representing workers, gay communities, individuals with mental health and addiction issues, aboriginals, the poor, anti-racism activists, students, environmentalists and AIDS activists.
- Co-founded the Law Union of Ontario and serves as a member of its steering committee.
- Served two terms on the Board of Directors of the Criminal Lawyers' Association.
- Course director at Atkinson College of York University on the Nature and Function of Law and high school guest lecturer on the nature of law and the legal system
- Participant in the Law Society of Upper Canada Bar Admission Course panel discussions on ethical questions in the practice of criminal law
Paul Copeland - 2006
Paul Copeland has served low-income people since the inception of legal aid services over 40 years ago:
- A Bencher of the Law Society of Upper Canada for 18 years and has served as committee chair on clinic funding, women in the legal profession, equity & diversity and equity & Aboriginal issues
- Co-founded the Law Union of Ontario in 1974 - a group dedicated to promoting social justice - and remains a member of the steering committee
- Vice-Chair of the Legal Aid Committee from 1991-1996
- Vice President of the Criminal Lawyers Association from 1985-1991
- President of the Association in Defence of the Wrongfully Convicted (AIDWYC)
Dianne Martin - 2005
Dianne Martin received the first Sidney B. Linden Award posthumously. Ms. Martin's legal career spanned almost 30 years:
- Law professor at York University's Osgoode Hall Law School
- Co-founder of the Innocence Project
- One of the founding directors of the Association in Defence of the Wrongfully Convicted (AIDWYC)
- Helped reform Canada's midwifery laws
- Helped reform rape laws in the late 1970's
The Award
Toronto sculptor, Siggy Puchta, designed the Sidney B. Linden Award. The statue depicts the concept of access to justice through the upward and open gesture of 'the lady of justice' holding the scales of justice while at the same time welcoming those in need of legal aid services. Siggy's design also captures the spirit of LAO's logo.
