Supreme Court Justice Rothstein shares experiences with law class
On Wednesday, March 13th, former Supreme Court Justice Marshall Rothstein came to speak to our Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms seminar class. It is a small class with less than 15 students which provided a very intimate and comfortable atmosphere and provided ample opportunity for students to ask questions. The focus of the class is to discuss the purpose, effect, and use of the Charter since its adoption. The opportunity to have a former Supreme Court justice come and speak of his experience was an immense privilege.
As the highest court in Canada, the Supreme Court of Canada is responsible for deciding a large number of highly relevant and often difficult cases. Many of these cases revolve around Charter rights and issues. The Honourable Marshall Rothstein spoke with us about his role as a judge on this court. He respectfully acknowledged the power and responsibility associated with his former position and cautioned against the misuse of judicial power, advocating instead for judicial restraint. He shared some of the highlights of his office, as well as some of the struggles he faced.
Meeting the Honourable Marshall Rothstein was an amazing experience! It was humbling to be reminded that the nine extremely intelligent and experienced judges who are responsible for the supreme interpretation of our laws and rights are also nine human beings.
If you are interested in hearing some of what the Honourable Justice Rothstein has to say about his experience, and would like to know more about how the Supreme Court works you can watch/listen to an interview he did with CPAC: http://www.cpac.ca/en/programs/documentaries/episodes/49690120#