Supreme Court justice Gérard La Forest helped modernize Canadian law

Reflecting on his multifaceted career as a legal scholar, public servant and judge, Gérard La Forest said, “If there is one element that links the various experiences in my career, it has been my commitment to be mindful of the human stake in justice.” These were the words of a man learned in the law who never forgot the lessons of his humble beginnings and who put family values above all.

In 1985, Justice La Forest explained the judicial role to students and faculty at his alma mater, the University of New Brunswick, as adhering to the law but avoiding what he called “a mechanical application of rules.” The judge, he said, must dig below the surface and “attempt to apply those rules justly” based upon the values of “our common humanity.”