Bora Laskin Law Library

Bora Laskin Law Library
Name	Bora Laskin Law Library
Established	1970s
Location	Toronto, Ontario
Type	Law library

Bora Laskin Law Library is a major Canadian legal research library housed in Toronto, Ontario, serving scholars, practitioners, and students associated with provincial and national legal institutions. The library supports study and research in common law and statutory interpretation, and it maintains collections that complement resources found at the Supreme Court of Canada, the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, and law libraries in Ottawa. Its holdings and services align with professional standards exemplified by institutions such as the Law Society of Ontario, the Canadian Bar Association, and the International Association of Law Libraries.

History

The library was established in the context of legal development connected to figures and institutions like Bora Laskin, Supreme Court of Canada, Ontario Court of Appeal, Federal Court of Canada, University of Toronto Faculty of Law, Osgoode Hall Law School, and Law Society of Ontario. Early support came from associations including the Canadian Bar Association, Ontario Bar Association, and provincial legislatures such as the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and federal agencies like Department of Justice Canada. Its growth tracked landmark events and cases such as Reference re Secession of Quebec, R v Oakes, and administrative law developments involving Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. Collection building responded to treaties and instruments like the North American Free Trade Agreement, decisions from bodies such as the European Court of Human Rights, and comparative law materials from institutions including the House of Lords, Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, and the United States Supreme Court.

Architecture and Facilities

The library's physical design references public institutions and civic architecture found in buildings like Osgoode Hall, Supreme Court of Canada Building, Toronto City Hall, and university campuses such as University of Toronto and York University. Facilities include reading rooms modeled on standards from the Library of Congress, map and microform rooms comparable to the collections at the British Library, and digital workstations interoperable with systems used by Library and Archives Canada and the National Library of Medicine. Meeting spaces host lectures and symposia drawing speakers from organizations like the Canadian Judicial Council, Federation of Law Societies of Canada, and universities such as McGill University, University of British Columbia, and Queen's University.

Collections and Resources

Holdings encompass case law reporters and statutory compilations from jurisdictions including the Supreme Court of Canada, Federal Court of Appeal (Canada), Ontario Court of Justice, and provincial courts across Canada. Comparative collections include materials from the United States Supreme Court, Court of Justice of the European Union, International Court of Justice, and regional tribunals such as the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. The library subscribes to databases and periodicals produced by publishers like LexisNexis, Westlaw, Thomson Reuters, and scholarly journals hosted at institutions including Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, Columbia Law School, and Stanford Law School. Reference works mirror those found at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law and include titles from Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, and Hart Publishing.

Services and Programs

The library offers research assistance in cooperation with entities such as the Federation of Law Societies of Canada, clinical programs at University of Toronto Faculty of Law, and continuing professional development provided by the Canadian Bar Association and Law Society of Ontario. Instructional programs partner with academic departments at Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University), York University, and legal clinics associated with Osgoode Hall Law School and Queen's University Faculty of Law. Public lecture series have featured judges and scholars from bodies like the Supreme Court of Canada, the Court of Appeal for Ontario, and international guests connected to the International Criminal Court and European Court of Human Rights.

Governance and Administration

Administration aligns with governance models used by institutions such as University of Toronto Libraries, Law Society of Ontario Library, and national entities like Library and Archives Canada. Boards and advisory committees have included representatives from the Canadian Bar Association, Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General, and academic law faculties including McGill University Faculty of Law and Dalhousie University Schulich School of Law. Funding and policy intersect with statutes and regulations administered by agencies like the Department of Justice Canada and provincial ministries such as the Ministry of the Attorney General (Ontario).

Notable Holdings and Special Collections

Special collections feature archives and manuscripts related to jurists and legal figures connected to the library's namesake and wider Canadian legal history, alongside materials from international lawmakers and institutions such as the League of Nations, United Nations, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and constitutional documents comparable to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms materials. Rare books and pleadings include items linked to legal luminaries and cases involving entities like Pierre Trudeau, John Diefenbaker, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Beverley McLachlin, and historic legal instruments from the era of the British North America Act and the Statute of Westminster 1931.

Accessibility and Community Outreach

Outreach programs coordinate with community and professional groups such as the Canadian Bar Association, Pro Bono Ontario, Legal Aid Ontario, and university outreach initiatives from University of Toronto and York University. Accessibility efforts reference standards promoted by organizations like the Canadian Centre on Disability Studies and federal frameworks including the Accessible Canada Act. The library engages in cooperative projects with municipal bodies such as City of Toronto and cultural institutions like the Royal Ontario Museum to broaden public access and legal literacy.

Category:Law libraries in Canada