You know that scene in Love Actually when Hugh Grant, playing the British Prime Minister, wonders aloud at the portrait of Thatcher on the wall if she had the same problems as he? Well, we’ve been poring over the back issues of the Obiter from as far back as 1970 and wondering the same thing. Adorning the walls of Room 0014G are 109 volumes (some of them duplicates) of this superb publication, and there’s plenty over which to pore.
When we’re wondering if we’re doing a good job, we invariably compare ourselves to those that came before. Presidents do it; siblings do it. So what do we find out? As we mentioned in the last editorial, nationalist politics in Québec are as alive as they were when the Obiter published on November 6, 1970. Articling reform is as hot a topic as ever, and so is gender equity. Some things never change. This is not to say that the legal profession is stagnant and hasn’t made progress. Citlally Maciel’s article details the frequent tweaks to the articling requirement in the past century, and Marie Park notes that gender equity no longer means admitting more women to law school; it means pay equity. Likewise, Québec nationalism no longer necessarily means sovereigntism; it means cultural protectionism. So there you have it: the Obiter Dicta, assuredly as cutting-edge as ever.
It’s reassuring to know that, as a society, we’re deliberately plodding along, accepting change slowly, as ever, and that someday some of our names might evoke nods of recognition when the class of 2052 reads back issues of the Obiter. The 1970 edition features such advertising gems as one John Sopinka named as counsel at a firm called “Fasken & Calvin,” and another Warren K. Winkler as a name partner with “Montgomery, Cassels, Mitchell, Somers, Dutton & Winkler.” Incidentally, Mr. Winkler’s name (as he then was) appears above one Brian Brock, which leads us to wonder what exactly Mr. Brock did with Messrs. Montgomery, Mitchell, Somers, and Dutton. We sincerely hope that in 40 years, some poor Editor-in-Chief has to admit that his professional lineage includes that Travis Weagant guy, who later embezzled government funds and flew himself to the moon. That’ll be a curveball.
But we digress. The November 1970 edition is right here. Read it and be reassured because, like Hugh Grant, we’re sure that some things never change.
[Website Editor’s Note: You can view both the current and past issues online from the shelf below, too!]