Edwina Sandy’s Pillars of Justice sculpture stands resolutely outside the Ontario Courthouse on University Avenue in downtown Toronto. It depicts a courthouse roof being held up by eleven figures, representing the jurors who uphold Canada’s justice system. The twelfth juror’s place is left empty in the statue’s front row, inviting the viewer to step into this role and contribute to the cause of justice.
This summer, I had the privilege of interning at Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA), a Canadian nonprofit organization that has been defending the civil liberties and constitutional rights of Canadians for over 60 years. The CCLA’s work covers a broad spectrum of rights and freedoms, from helping to secure Canadians’ rights to abortion access to determining when Charter obligations apply to Canadian abroad.
Starting my internship at the CCLA this summer felt like stepping into Sandy’s sculpture. Although a place was made for me, I felt small compared to the giants around me. On my first day, I expected to meet a large legal team. Instead, I was warmly welcomed by just three lawyers. Despite their small number, these lawyers oversee all work related to Fundamental Freedoms, Criminal Justice, Equality and Privacy Rights across Canada. Their roles involve constant engagement with journalists, legislators, fellow lawyers, and other civil rights organizations, advocating for Canadians’ Charter Rights and Freedoms through parliamentary committee statements, court interventions, lawsuits, press releases, and other public forums.
During my first rotation in the areas of Fundamental Freedoms and Privacy Rights, I was struck by the significance of the CCLA’s legal actions in protecting Canadians’ freedom of speech, right to protest, and privacy rights both in the press and in the courtroom. Perhaps most notable however, was the integrity, humour and openness with which my supervising lawyer, Anaïs Bussières McNicoll, approached her work. I have never met someone who both such an overwhelming amount of work, and such a contagious enthusiasm for it.
It is often said that the CCLA “punches above its weight” as a civil rights organization. To me, this doesn’t fully capture the impact of its legal team. Over the summer, I observed three remarkable lawyers shouldering the work of entire teams, acting as advocates, editors, press secretaries, teachers and mentors. Their passion was evident as they discussed pivotal cases affecting fundamental freedoms in Canada and their efforts to influence legislation to protect Canadians’ privacy online. Most significantly, I witnessed their success in winning cases and influencing bills at parliamentary committees. Perhaps most importantly, I watched their efforts come to fruition, winning cases and adapting bills at parliamentary committees.
Watching this legal team, I started to realise that it was first and foremost their recognition of importance of the work, and their subsequent enthusiasm for it, drove this team to occupy the space of giants and allowed them to take on such expansive roles with dedication and enthusiasm.
In short, the CCLA’s lawyers’ dedication to their work gave me the confidence to step into civil rights work this summer. And it made to realize that maybe one day, with enthusiasm, I too might one day occupy the space of a giant.