Catherine Boies Parker of Victoria, BC is the recipient of the 2016 Georges A. Goyer, Q.C. Memorial Award for Distinguished Service. Boies Parker was presented with this highest honour awarded by CBABC at the annual Bench and Bar Dinner co-hosted by the association and the Law Society of BC on November 17, 2016.
Boies Parker is an accomplished lawyer who has advanced the legal profession in BC through her dedication and visionary counsel in support of homeless people in Victoria. She has donated an enormous number of pro bono hours to defend the legal rights of this vulnerable group.
CBABC branch president, Michael Welsh, presented the award and commented, “As we have seen by her work, Ms. Boies Parker has worked tirelessly to improve the legal standing of Victoria’s homeless population and, in turn, has elevated legal practice in our province.” Welsh continued, “She is a very deserving recipient of the Goyer Award and we’re delighted to recognize her impressive dedication to the people of not only Victoria, but all of British Columbia.”
Murray Rankin, Member of Parliament for Victoria and one of her nominees, said, “We have seen a remarkable increase in the amount of affordable and accessible housing options and a notable decrease in street homelessness. This is due to the professional commitment and dedicated advocacy of Ms. Boies Parker.”
The annual Georges A. Goyer Q.C. Memorial Award for Distinguished Service was created in 1992 to recognize exceptional contributions to the advancement of the legal profession, to jurisprudence, or to the law in British Columbia. The award was established in memory of Georges A. Goyer Q.C., a respected member of the CBABC, who passed away after a courageous battle with cancer.
Click here to read Ms. Boies Parker's acceptance speech, given at the 2016 Vancouver Bench & Bar Dinner on November 17, 2016.