Merci de tout coeur

Alan M. Stein

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N.D.L.R.: Ce texte est un extrait du discours de remerciement de M^e Alan M. Stein, fils de M^e Albert Louis Stein, Q.C., récipiendaire de la Médaille du Barreau de Montréal.

[...] Pour ceux et celles parmi vous qui ne le sauraient pas, mon père est présentement âgé de 89 ans. Vous comprendrez donc que cette médaille représente pour lui le point culminant d'une longue et glorieuse carrière en droit. Admis au Tableau de l'ordre en 1934, mon père s'est consacré corps et âme pendant 63 ans à la pratique du droit et à la promotion des droits et libertés pour tous. Cette passion qu'il ressentait pour le droit était dépassée seulement par l'amour pour sa famille. Il n'est donc pas surprenant de constater que mon père est entouré ce matin de toute sa famille - de son épouse et compagne de vie de plus de 63 ans - de sa soeur âgée de 91 ans - de son frère avec qui il fonda le cabinet Stein & Stein et avec qui il pratiqua le droit pendant 58 ans - de ses enfants et petits-enfants. Au nom de toute notre famille, je tiens à remercier infiniment le Barreau de Montréal pour cette chance unique de faire le point et de vous entretenir pendant quelques minutes sur la carrière d'un homme de loi qui nous est si cher.

When judgment was rendered by the Supreme Court in favour of Roncarelli on Tuesday, January 27, 1959, after a 13-year legal battle before the courts, I was a first-year law student at McGill University and I remember how much excitement there was at the Law Faculty on that day. My father and the late Professor Frank R. Scott, who acted together with my father as attorneys for Roncarelli, were not in Ottawa for the decision but they did have a representative at hand to hear the judgment. Apparently, my father phoned Scott at the McGill Law Faculty and his words were, "We've won, Frank", he said, "by a decision of 6 to 3".

Within 5 seconds of my father's phone call to Scott, the news was all over the McGill Law Faculty. There were no further lectures that day. A general assembly of students was called with Professor Max Cohen [...] presiding. Scott sat at the front and a few points of the case were discussed. Several of the students had gone out and returned with 2 bottles of Mumm's champagne. This gave Scott a chance to answer, whenever asked a question to which he ought not to reply, since the case was still subjudice, Scott's answer was always "Mumm's the word". General rejoicing in the Law Faculty that day was followed by further rejoicing that night at Scott's residence on Clarke Avenue with a gathering of personal friends, including Therese Casgrain, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, Eric Kierans and a number of others. I was fortunate to attend this gathering together with my father and mother, and it was indeed a very exciting event in my own personal life.

The judgment made the front headlines of The Montreal Star on January 27, 1959, with a large picture of Roncarelli and the headlines read "Roncarelli Wins Court Decision, Supreme Court Rules Against Duplessis 6 to 3, Restauranteur awarded $33,123.00 plus interest". The Montreal Star reported that my father's comments on that day were as follows, and I quote, "Certainly it is nice to know that the case is getting this kind of attention in the courts but since it is still open to appeal it would be wrong to comment at this time." The Roncarelli case was probably the last case that could be appealed to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in England and therefore my father refrained from commenting to any great extent at the time. However, eventually Duplessis decided not to appeal to the Privy Council and therefore the judgment of the Supreme Court became a final judgment and a judgment that would be cited before our courts from time to time, particularly when the rights of a private and ordinary citizen were trampled upon by a public officer or person in authority. [...]

Finally, my father would also like to thank the Bar of Montreal for bestowing this great honour upon him on a day when we celebrate the opening of the courts, referred to as La Rentrée Judiciaire. [...] Therefore what could be more appropriate than to discuss the Roncarelli case on the day of La Journée du Barreau with its theme, "La place du justiciable dans le système judiciaire". [...] Alors, pour cette grande cause, nous remercions mon père; et pour ce jour et l'honneur que vous accordez à mon père, il vous remercie de tout coeur.

 

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