Professor of Law Roderick Macdonald, one of the best legal minds in the country and a former Dean of the Faculty, will be presented with an honorary degree from l’Université de Montréal today, Oct. 7.
Macdonald, who in his address will touch on the capacity and responsibility of all people to live a life of virtue, was the founding President of the Law Commission of Canada from 1997 to 2000. He is one of the most sought-after legal consultants in the world, and his work has been recognized with a variety of awards throughout the years, including the 2007 Killam Prize and the Canadian Bar Association’s 2010 Ramon John Hnatyshyn Award for Law. In 2008, Macdonald was elected the 111th president of the Royal Society of Canada, making him the first law professor to have ever done so.
Said Dean of Law Daniel Jutras, himself a graduate of U de M, “I am delighted that my Alma Mater has chosen to underscore in such a manner Roderick Macdonald’s phenomenal contribution to intellectual, social, and judicial life in Quebec and beyond.”
Matte honoured
The 39th Edward Warner Award, the highest honour in the world of civil aviation, was conferred by the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) on Dr. Nicolas Mateesco Matte on Sept. 29, in recognition of his eminent contribution to the development, promotion and understanding of air and space law around the world.
“During his entire professorship, Dr. Matte contributed tirelessly to the growth and financial stability of the McGill Institute, laying the groundwork for what has become a centre of civil law excellence of worldwide reputation,” said Roberto Kobeh González, President of the ICAO Council.
Dr. Matte joined the McGill Institute of Air and Space Law in 1961 as a visiting professor. He became the Director of the Institute in 1975, and founded both the Annals of Air and Space Law and the Centre for Research of Air and Space Law in 1976. He remained at the helm of the IASL until 1989, after which he was made Director Emeritus. Dr. Matte is now 97 years old.