The Honourable Stephen T. Goudge, QC, with Dean Bill Flanagan, CLCW Advisory Committee member Richard Baldwin, Law’72, and CLCW Co-Chair Hugh Christie, Law’81.
The Honourable Stephen T. Goudge, QC, with Dean Bill Flanagan, CLCW Advisory Committee member Richard Baldwin, Law’72, and CLCW Co-Chair Hugh Christie, Law’81.

“The Honourable Stephen T. Goudge is a well-known and highly respected member of Canada’s legal community,” says Dean Bill Flanagan. “We are delighted that he agreed to take on the role of Honorary Chair of the Queen’s Centre for the Contemporary Workplace (CLCW).” 

In this role, Goudge is helping raise the profile of the CLCW within the labour and employment law community, which includes not only law firms, but also businesses, trade unions, governments, courts and tribunals.

The Centre leads, conducts and fosters interdisciplinary research on emerging issues for workplace law. It is particularly focused on the implications for law of social, economic, cultural, technological and demographic changes shaping the contemporary workplace, both in Canada and globally. 

Goudge is well-suited for the honorary post, having served with great distinction on the Court of Appeal for Ontario from 1996 to 2014. He has received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the Law Society of Upper Canada (2014) and the Guthrie Award from the Law Foundation of Ontario for his exceptional work improving access to justice in the province (2012). Most recently, he was also appointed to the Order of Ontario for his work as Commissioner for the Public Inquiry into Pediatric Forensic Pathology, which led to a fundamental restructuring of the delivery of forensic pathology services in the province. Over his long career, he has also been a leader in advancing labour and employment law.

Members of the CLCW officially welcomed Goudge to his new role at a reception on November 27 hosted by Gowling WLG’s Toronto Office. There, in light of the Centre’s recent publication of “One Law for All: Weber v Ontario Hydro and Canadian Labour Law – Essays in Memory of Bernie Adell,” he spoke on the legacy of that case, which he had argued before the Supreme Court of Canada as a barrister. 

At that reception, Professor Kevin Banks, CLCW Director, talked about the Centre’s progress in achieving its goals, the important role the late Professor Bernie Adell had played in launching the Centre, and how he would have appreciated seeing how far it’s come.

“The CLCW has emerged as a leading voice in workplace law in Canada and beyond,” says Dean Flanagan. “It is fortunate to have a national advisory board that includes Canada’s leaders in workplace law. With Justice Goudge as Honorary Chair, the CLCW is well placed to continue to lead in advancing scholarship and teaching in workplace law in Canada.”

By Aschille Clarke-Mendes