Alumna receives Governor General’s Award

© Office of the Secretary to the Governor General of Canada 2009 Photo credit: Sgt Serge Gouin, October 1, 2009 Reproduced with the permission of the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General

Governor General's Award recipient Daphne Dumont, Q.C., with Governor General Michaëlle Jean at the ceremony in Rideau Hall on October 1, 2009.

Daphne Dumont, Q.C., Artsci ‘74, received a Governor General’s Award in Commemoration of the Persons Case on October 1, 2009. An Oxford law graduate who completed her Canadian legal training at Queen’s, Dumont was recognized and honoured for her many significant contributions in advancing the equality of women.  She was one of six recipients of the award, which was presented by Governor General Michaëlle Jean at Rideau Hall.

Dumont, a Charlottetown practitioner who was the first woman to study law at an Oxford men’s college, is a founding member of the Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF) and served on the National Task Force on Gender Equality in the Legal Profession. She has additionally volunteered in various community groups over the years, such as the Canadian Federation of University Women, and was a past president of the Canadian Bar Association (CBA). Dumont won the CBA’s 2006 Touchstone Award for promoting equality in the nation’s legal profession.

“In my practice, and in my volunteer work for the Canadian Bar Association and the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund, I have always tried to improve access to justice for women and others suffering disadvantages under our system,” Dumont said. “Expanding and strengthening legal aid, and improving the position of women in the legal profession have been priorities for me.”

The Governor General’s Awards were established in 1979 to mark the 50th anniversary of the “Persons Case” (Edwards v. Canada (Attorney General)). On October 18, 1929, the Privy Council agreed with Emily Murphy, Nellie McClung, Henrietta Muir Edwards, Irene Parlby and Louise McKinney (the “Famous Five”) and held that Canadian women were “persons” and therefore eligible to become senators and fully participate in politics. The case is regarded as a watershed in advancing women’s equality in Canada.

“Our Government is pleased to recognize the achievements of these distinguished women, who have so enriched our national life with their contributions,” the Honourable Helena Guergis, Minister of State (Status of Women), told the media as she announced the award recipients. “The legacy of the Famous Five endures through the work of these women. By dedicating their lives to bringing about true and lasting change, they have benefited women, their families and their communities across Canada, and strengthened Canadian society, as a whole.”

Dumont’s colleagues in the legal profession praised her receipt of the award.

“We are particularly proud that a leader of our Association is recognized for her contribution to equality for women,” said CBA President Kevin Carroll, Q.C. in a press release. “Daphne has an enviable reputation as a champion for change. Thanks to her leadership, there have been many improvements – not only [in] our profession but in our laws and our society.”

Dumont credits her time at Queen’s with introducing her to areas of the law which have played a pivotal role in her distinguished career.

“My years studying law and philosophy at Queen’s taught me the importance of practical justice for citizens,” she said. “The feminist principles I learned at Queen’s have kept me focussed on these goals since I finished law school in 1977. It is wonderful – and astonishing - to have been recognized for this work by the Governor General.”

For more information on the awards, please visit:  http://www.swc-cfc.gc.ca/dates/gg/recip-laure/2009-eng.html and http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/September2009/28/c9683.html