The following is the presentation speech for the 2024 SAGDA Ally Award:
"The Ally Award recognizes lawyers, professors, law students or judges who are not members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, who have advanced the cause of equality of these communities through either a single important action or series of actions or through a career contribution.
This year’s winner is Claire Hunter, K.C. Claire is an experienced litigator with a broad civil litigation, public and administrative law and appellate practice. She is also actively involved in community work including as a provider of pro bono legal services, for which she has received a number of awards.
Over the past few years, Claire generously offered many hours of her time to lend her expertise to the fight for trans rights. Among other notable achievements, she successfully defended the right of a trans youth to make their own medical decisions in the face of opposition from one of their birth parents. The BC Supreme Court declared that the youth was exclusively entitled to consent to receiving gender-affirming medical treatment without parental permission.
In addition to litigating trans rights cases, Claire has also been a generous mentor to younger trans lawyers, thus helping in making the legal profession more welcoming to all. There is no doubt that she embodies the very highest standards of allyship and excellence within our profession.
Please, join me in congratulating Claire Hunter, K.C., 2024 winner of the SAGDA Ally Award."