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The phrase pro bono comes from Latin and means “for the public good”.
Here is an example where pro bono assumes its full meaning :
In the early sixties, M. Hinse was unlawfully arrested, found guilty and imprisoned for robbery using a prohibited firearm, a crime that he had not commited. Following the trial, he was sentenced to 15 years and after purging the third of his time, was finally on parole in 1969. M. Hinse spent the next 40 years of his life claiming his innocence and demanding compensation for the prejudice he had unjustly suffered. In 1997, the Supreme Court of Canada ultimately discharged M. Hinse. A few months later, M. Hinse filed a damage claim against the Attorney General of Quebec (AGQ), Ville de Mont-Laurier and the Attorney General of Canada (AGC). An out of court settlement was concluded with Ville Mont-Laurier in 2002 and with the AGQ in December 2010. In the trial held through out November and December 2010, M. Hinse was represented in court by a team of lawyers from Borden, Ladner, Gervais thanks to a pro bono mandate.
On April 13th 2011, the Honorable Hélène Poulin delivered her decision in the case presented before the Superior Court, opposing M. Hinse and the Attorney General of Canada. Judge Poulin was severe towards the AGC and qualified their attitude as "institutional indifference". As she pointed out, the burden of proof imposed by the AGC on M. Hinse he was asked to prove his innocence does not exist in Canadian criminal law. Indeed, the only two possible verdicts are "guilty" or "not guilty". In her judgement, Poulin condemned the AGC to compensate Hinse up to 8 million dollars. Today, as the matter proceeds before the Court of Appeal, M. Hinse still benefits from pro bono legal services generously offered by Borden Ladner Gervais.
A Matter of Professional Responsibility
Many organizations representing lawyers acknowledge that the profession has a duty to improve access to justice by helping citizens of limited means and groups defending the interests of society’s disadvantaged.
The Canadian Bar Association encourages lawyers to do 50 hours of pro bono work each year. - Resolution 03-04-M of the CBA
The American Bar Association has adopted this position on pro bono work: “Every lawyer has a professional responsibility to provide legal services to those unable to pay. A lawyer should aspire to render at least (50) hours of pro bono publico legal services per year.” - ABA Model Rule 6.1
In the United States, seven states require lawyers to report annually on the number of hours dedicated to pro bono work: Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Mississippi, Nevada and New Mexico.
On the initiative of The Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice Initiatives of the New York City Bar, law firms are invited to sign the Pro Bono Declaration of the Americas.
On February 23, 2012, Pro Bono Québec will participate in a Mini-colloquium on the new Code of Civil Procedure hosted by the Group RÉFORMA of the Faculty of Law at the Université de Montreal. Our Executive Director, Me Michèle Moreau, will be one of the speakers.
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Pro Bono Quebec is proud to present Me Chantal Beaubien, the YBAM Lawyer of the year 2011 in the category Pro Bono / Public Interest, a lawyer whose career seems guided by the desire to improve the conditions of communities here and abroad. As a student, Chantal Beaubien volunteered for Montreal Legal Aid as well as for various legal clinics in Montreal and founded an organization in Montreal to assist refugee claimants. After becoming a lawyer, she went to Cambodia to volunteer for a human rights NGO. She stayed there for five years, offering her legal expertise to the benefit of social development in this post-conflict country. She has volunteered in a nation-wide outreach program for victims of the Khmer Rouge regime for the hearings of the United Nations Tribunal as well as for the Trial Chamber of the UN Khmer Rouge Tribunal. She also worked for three years in an international law firm, contributing to the rule law and private sector development while still working pro bono on NGO files. In the coming weeks, she will start working in Jerusalem for the United Nations Development Program on socio-economic development projects in the Palestinian territories. She is an inspiring example of a lawyer for whom social involvement has no boundaries!
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2011 Médaille de St-Yves
Pro Bono Quebec congratulates the recipient of the "2011 Médaille de Saint-Yves", Me Geeta Narang, founder and executive director of the Mile End Legal Clinic. Me Narang has distinguished herself by her proven leadership and is an inspiring model regarding pro bono legal work. For many law students and volunteer lawyers, Me Narang is the spark that leads them to devote their time to the community. Through her generous and sincere personal involvement, Me Narang contributes consistently to promote pro bono legal services. Me Narang strongly believes that law and justice are efficient ways to help people improve their lives, socially and economically. It is this conviction that inspired her to develop and manage the Mile End Legal Clinic offering free legal services to the population from Mile End, as well other areas of Montreal. Our sincere congratulations!
Call for nominations - 2011 Médaille de Saint-Yves
Each year, Pro Bono Québec awards the Médaille de Saint-Yves to recognize the outstanding contribution of a lawyer, law office or an organization that has offered pro bono legal services.
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