2014-2015
The Honourable Morris J. Fish is a renowned legal scholar, who was first in private practice in Montreal from 1964 to 1989, in addition to teaching at the faculties of law at McGill University, the University of Ottawa and the Université de Montréal. He continued his career as a judge at the Quebec Court of Appeal, where he served until 2003, before sitting on the Supreme Court of Canada, from which he retired in 2013.
Over the years, he has contributed to many legal journals and has been a speaker at numerous conferences, both in Canada and abroad.
Throughout his exceptional career, he has been awarded a number of prizes and distinctions.
When reflecting on Morris Fish’s distinguished career, one is immediately struck by his profound respect for individuals’ legal rights and the fundamental importance of vigilantly protecting them. His sensitivity to the inherent dignity of all human beings instills a sense of humility that demands the highest standards of legal reasoning, clear and elegant writing, and commitment to the ideals on which our legal system is founded. He personifies the reasons that brought lawyers to study and to practice law, and he is a shining example of the superior qualities that lawyers must acquire, develop and put to the service of their clients.
The Honourable Morris J. Fish is a brilliant legal mind, whose contributions will continue to influence Canadian law and the lawyers who practise it. In recognition of his tremendous contribution to justice, the Council, after consultation with the Conference of former Bâtonniers, decided to confer upon him the highest distinction of the Bar of Montreal.