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| Advocates' Society | |
|---|---|
| Name | Advocates' Society |
| Type | Professional association |
| Founded | 1846 |
| Headquarters | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Region served | Canada |
| Membership | Barristers and advocates |
Advocates' Society The Advocates' Society is a Canadian professional association for trial lawyers and litigators that promotes advocacy, legal excellence, and access to justice. Founded in the 19th century, it operates alongside institutions such as the Law Society of Ontario, the Supreme Court of Canada, the Ontario Court of Appeal, the Canadian Bar Association, and the Bar of Quebec to influence practice standards, judicial procedure, and legal education. The Society interacts with courts and legislatures, participating in proceedings involving the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Criminal Code (Canada), the Canadian Charter, and statute reforms pursued by provincial legislatures such as the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and the Parliament of Canada.
The Society traces its roots to mid-19th century legal culture influenced by practitioners who appeared before institutions like the Court of King's Bench (England), the Exchequer of Pleas, and later Canadian courts including the Court of Queen's Bench (Manitoba). Early members included advocates inspired by figures associated with the Confederation era and jurists who later served on courts such as the Ontario Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada. Over decades the Society engaged with landmark matters that reached the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, and domestic appellate tribunals, contributing to debates over statutes like the Canada Evidence Act and issues heard in cases similar to those involving the Canadian Human Rights Act. Its evolution paralleled the expansion of advocacy practice alongside organizations such as the Canadian Judicial Council and the Law Commission of Canada.
The Society is governed by a board and executive officers drawn from litigators who practice before bodies such as the Federal Court of Canada, the Tax Court of Canada, the Superior Court of Justice (Ontario), and provincial courts of appeal including the British Columbia Court of Appeal and the Alberta Court of Appeal. Governance structures reflect models used by associations like the Canadian Bar Association and provincial law societies including the Law Society of Alberta and the Law Society of British Columbia. Committees address topics related to appellate advocacy, criminal litigation, administrative law, and civil procedure seen in cases before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice and tribunals like the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. Annual general meetings and elections are analogous to practices of the Ontario Bar Association and include representation from regional chapters such as those in Montreal, Vancouver, and Halifax.
Membership is open to barristers and advocates who are called to a provincial bar such as the Bar of Nova Scotia, the Law Society of Newfoundland and Labrador, or the Bar of Prince Edward Island, and who practice in forums including the Small Claims Court and superior appellate courts. Admission criteria mirror standards set by bodies like the Law Society of Upper Canada historically and contemporary regulators including the Federation of Law Societies of Canada. Categories include full members, student members, and honorary members drawn from judges of the Court of Appeal for Ontario, former justices of the Supreme Court of Canada, academics from institutions such as the University of Toronto Faculty of Law and the Osgoode Hall Law School, and in-house counsel practicing before tribunals like the Canada Industrial Relations Board.
The Society organizes conferences, moot competitions, and seminars focused on trial skills and appellate advocacy analogous to programs run by the Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice and the National Judicial Institute. Signature events include advocacy workshops that attract counsel practicing in jurisdictions such as the Nova Scotia Supreme Court, the Court of King's Bench of New Brunswick, and the Manitoba Court of Appeal. The organization hosts moots and oratories that engage students from the McGill Faculty of Law, the University of British Columbia Faculty of Law, and the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law, and cooperates with entities like the Crown Law Office and public interest litigators involved in cases before the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal.
Through position papers, amici submissions, and consultations, the Society contributes to debates before bodies such as the Supreme Court of Canada, provincial legislatures, and federal committees of the House of Commons of Canada. It files intervention briefs in major appeals touching on the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, criminal procedure under the Criminal Code (Canada), and administrative law principles applied by the Federal Court of Appeal. The Society's advocacy aligns with reforms proposed by organizations like the Law Commission of Ontario and engages with stakeholders including the Office of the Attorney General of Ontario, victims’ groups, and civil liberties organizations such as the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.
Programming emphasizes continuing professional development (CPD) and skills training similar to offerings by the Canadian Bar Association and provincial law societies. Courses cover cross-examination techniques used in trials before the Ontario Court of Justice, appellate brief-writing skills for filings to the Supreme Court of Canada, and ethics topics reflecting codes promulgated by the Federation of Law Societies of Canada. The Society partners with law schools and institutions like the Osgoode Professional Development to deliver accredited seminars, and it maintains scholarship and mentorship initiatives for students from faculties including the Dalhousie Law School.
Prominent members and leaders have included litigators and former judges who appeared before the Supreme Court of Canada, served on the Ontario Court of Appeal, or led public inquiries associated with bodies such as the Law Commission of Canada and the Canadian Human Rights Commission. Alumni list overlaps with practitioners from firms that litigate in the Federal Court of Canada and counsel who have argued landmark Charter cases. Honorary and past presidents have come from universities like the University of Toronto and the University of British Columbia, and have included bench figures later appointed to courts such as the Supreme Court of Canada.
Category:Legal organizations in Canada