Description

The Robert-Sauvé Award honours the exceptional contributions of two people who have worked on behalf of the less fortunate. One prize is awarded to someone working the legal aid network, the other to a member of the public-at-large. Candidates for the award must have devoted themselves to this cause for many years and carried out their work in Québec.

The award is named after the first chairman of legal aid in Québec, The Honourable Robert Sauvé, Chairman of the Commission des services juridiques from 1972 to 1977. Robert Sauvé was convinced that a legal aid system was essential to ensuring access to justice for all Québecers. The winners of the awards have the privilege of being associated with one of the most ardent defenders of the rights of the less fortunate.

The award was handed out for the first time in 1999, posthumously to the Honourable Robert Sauvé.

Network Award

General Public Award

Selection Committee

• a member of the Commission des services juridiques, other than the Chairman;
• a staff lawyer appointed by the Directors General;
• an external member chosen by the Commissioners. That person must be either a judge or someone publicly well-known and respected.

How do you submit a nomination?
Any person or organization who wishes to submit one or more nominees for consideration must send a complete file that includes:

• a nomination form;
• an introductory letter;
• two letters of support;
• a description of the career and exceptional acts of the nominee.

Nomination forms are also available at your regional community legal centre.

The Robert Sauvé Award will be presented in odd-numbered years. Due to the pandemic, the award will not be presented in 2021.

Complete nomination files must be sent  exceptionally before June 30^th to the following address:

Robert-Sauvé Award Committee
Commission des services juridiques
P.O. Box 123
Station Desjardins
Montreal, Québec, H5B 1B3

Information
M^e Richard La Charité
(514) 873-3562, extension 232
rlacharite@csj.qc.ca
or your regional community legal centre      

 

Documentation

Dépliant
(French only)
Selection Criteria and Process
(French only)
Candidacy Application Form
(French only)

2019
2017
2015
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
1999
All

Winners 2002

On November 14, 2002, the Commission des services juridiques conferred the 2002 Robert-Sauvé Award to Mrs. France Labelle and Me Robert Forest. Me Pierre Bélanger, Chairman of the Commission des services juridiques, and Me Normand Jutras, Québec Minister of Justice, presented the Award to the two winners.
,br>The Robert-Sauvé Award honours the exceptional contribution of individuals to promoting the rights of the less fortunate. It is comprised of two components, the General Public Award and the Network Award.

---

« General Public » category

Mrs. France Labelle

Photo: Paul Ducharme In the photograph, from left to right: Me Normand Jutras, Québec Minister of Justice, Mrs. France Labelle, recipient of the General Public Award of the Award, Me Robert Forest, recipient of the Network Award of the Award, and

Mrs. France LabelleThe Award for the General Public Award was conferred on Mrs. France Labelle, who has been director general of the Refuge des jeunes de Montréal for the past 10 years. Mrs. Labelle, who is the director general and co-founder of the Refuge des jeunes de Montréal, has been involved, professionally and as a volunteer, with individuals in distress for over 18 years. She made the career decision to work within a community setting and for social development because she firmly believes that social justice and the fight against poverty are the bases for the social emancipation of individuals.

« Legal Aid Network » category

Me Robert Forest

Me Robert Forest
The Award for the Network Award was conferred on Me Robert Forest who was the director general of the Community Legal Centre of Montréal from 1975 to 1997. Me Forest, who was admitted to the Québec Bar on January 10, 1964, joined the Bureau de l’assistance judiciaire, the precursor of the legal aid network in Québec, in 1969. In 1972, he was in charge of the criminal law section of the new legal aid corporation in Montréal and Laval and, in 1975, he became the director general of the Community Legal Centre of Montréal. Me Forest was always an ardent defender of the legal aid network and always worked in the best interests of the recipients of legal aid, the organization itself and the lawyers working there.