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 2019

On November 7, 2019, M^e Yvan Niquette, Chairman of the Commission des services juridiques, proudly presented the 2019 Robert-Sauvé Awards in Montreal.

The winner of the 2019 Robert-Sauvé Award in the General Public category is Mr. Michel Purcell for his exceptional community involvement and outstanding dedication to community street work in the Regional County Municipality (RCM) of Maskinongé.

This year, the Robert-Sauvé Award in the Legal Aid Network category was bestowed on M^e Rodrigue Joncas for his outstanding community involvement and his exceptional dedication to the clients of the Community Legal Centre of the Lower St.Lawrence/Gaspé Region.

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« General Public » category

Mr. Michel Purcell

Photograph: Julie Herron. From left to right : Me Yvan Niquette, chairman of the Commission des services juridiques and Mr. Michel Purcell, recipient of the Robert-Sauvé 2019 – General Public award.

Mr. Purcell, who studied advertising design and special education, is the coordinator of the community street work organization TrueC (Travail de rue communautaire) of the RCM of Maskinongé, an organization he has headed for nearly 25 years.

He is a committed worker and a trailblazer in rural street work. He was involved in founding community street work in the RCM of Maskinongé. 

He is an outstanding fighter and mobilizer who knows how to defend the interests of the poorest within our society so that, collectively, solutions can be found to deal with the many issues at stake, such as hyper sexualization, lack of communication, the increase and development of serious mental health problems, and rising homelessness.

He is one of the founding members of the Association des Travailleurs et Travailleuses de rue du Québec (ATTrueQ) and the Regroupement des organismes communautaires du Québec en travail de rue (ROCQTR).

« Legal Aid Network » category

Me Rodrigue Joncas

Photograph: Julie Herron. From left to right : Me Yvan Niquette, chairman of the Commission des services juridiques and Me Rodrigue Joncas recipient of the Robert-Sauvé 2019 – Network award

M^e Joncas has practised law for the past 43 years, including 28 years within the legal aid network.

A proud Gaspesian, he began his career in private practice, where he remained until 1989. M^e Joncas then joined the Community Legal Centre of the Lower St. Lawrence/Gaspé Region, first in the Gaspé office and, from 2000 to June 2017, in the Rimouski office.

M^e Joncas is a lawyer who likes his clients and treats them with great respect and empathy and puts his heart into what he does. 

While in the legal aid network, he was involved in a number of community initiatives, including, to name but a few, as founding member of the organization Place des Hommes, in the Rimouski region. 

He was also chair of the board of Ressource d’aide aux personnes handicapées for eight years, from 2005 to 2013.

Moreover, as an elected municipal official, he sat on the advisory committee on poverty, where he shared his experience involving the clients of the legal aid network.

He also put his talents to work on behalf of the syndic of the Bar, as corresponding syndic, and worked within the regional Bar, as section president.

Lastly, M^e Joncas was recognized by his peers within the criminal legal system when he had the honour of being awarded the 2017 Antonio Lamer Prize by the Association québécoise des avocats et avocates de la défense (AQAAD). This award recognizes excellence in a career devoted to law and justice.