Surprise. Delight. Honoured. Owen Rees, Law’02, experienced all of those feelings in the moments after learning Queen’s Law had named him the 2018 recipient of the Justice Thomas Cromwell Distinguished Public Service Award for sustained outstanding public service.

“I have enormous respect for Thomas Cromwell (Law’76, LLD’10). When I served as Executive Legal Officer to Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin (LLD’11) from 2012 to 2015, Justice Cromwell was on the court, and I had the privilege of working with him. Not only was he a mentor, I’m proud to say he also became a friend,” says Rees. “That’s what make this Queen’s Law honour so special for me.”

An exclamation point on that honour came when Rees, who is now in a civil and regulatory litigation practice with the Ottawa law firm Conway Baxter Wilson LLP, received his award from the hands of Cromwell himself. That happened at a September 6 reception at the Ottawa Art Gallery. In his introductory remarks, the retired Supreme Court of Canada Justice observed that Rees, like others who are highly talented and skilled at whatever they do, “makes it look easy . . . never gets ruffled.” And, added Cromwell, “Clearly, he’s also a person who has public service in his DNA.”

Indeed, Rees’ involvements in and dedication to public service are myriad. For example, in 2012, the Canadian Public Health Association honoured him with its National Public Health Hero Award for making a positive difference for the public’s health at the national level for his advocacy before the Supreme Court in the Insite safe injection site appeal. Then, too, he also has served on Legal Aid Ontario’s Group Applications and Test Cases Committee (2010-12), and when he and colleague Grégoire Webber – Canada Research Chair in Public Law and Philosophy of Law at Queen’s Law – founded the Supreme Court Advocacy Institute in 2007, Rees acted as the agency’s co-executive director (2007-11). As a result, in 2015 then-Governor General David Johnston, Law’66, LLD’91, awarded Rees and Webber the Meritorious Service Medal for their efforts to improving access to justice in Canada. 

While he’s grateful for such recognition, Rees rejects any notion he’s doing anything unusual or special. “Lawyers are privileged. I feel that each of us has a responsibility to give back in whatever way we can,” he says. 

“When I think about my own career, the word that comes to mind is ‘fortunate.’ I owe a great deal of thanks to my parents, my colleagues, friends, my teachers at Queen’s Law and to my wife, Jocelyn (Meds’02).”

Rees insists it’s his wife, who’s a family physician, and the couple’s five-year-old daughter and three-year-old son who keep him grounded and on an even keel. “Away from the office, I love to spend time reading, hiking, gardening, and cooking,” says Rees. “I have a great family life. I really do feel fortunate both professionally and personally.”    

By Ken Cuthbertson