Learning About to Learn From
It’s no surprise that a Supreme Court Justice has a lot to teach an audience of eager law students, but the Honourable Justice Iacobucci showed that there is much more to learn about the law and Canada by listening to the stories of how we all came to be. In an event hosted by the Canadian Italian Association of Osgoode (CIAO), an Osgoode club whose goal is to empower students through intercultural communication, Iacobucci told the story of thousands of Italian immigrants to Canada, including that of his parents.
Born in Vancouver in 1937, Iacobucci told many comical stories about growing up as a minority; from classmates making fun of his homemade panini lunches to thinking his name was of Japanese descent. Despite giving in and asking his parents to make him a peanut butter jelly sandwich on Wonder Bread like the rest of the kids, Iacobucci explained that growing up as an immigrant shaped him into the scholar and judge that he would later become. As is the Italian way, the Supreme Court Justice learned most of his precious values at home from his family.
In discussing his decision to retire from the court, Iacobucci cited his family and not wanting to take shortcuts as his main motivating factors. He explained that as his career on the highest court matured, he found he did not take the time to dedicate himself to issues in front of him that he once did. Despite missing his time as a judge, he does not regret his decision to retire. In answering a question about the role of the judiciary, Iacobucci suggested that the law is organic and that judges should not interpret their role as hanging on to the past – in light of this, it was the right time for him to go.
He also gave Osgoode a rare look behind the closed doors of the Supreme Court, proclaiming that the nine justices often had powerful disagreements amongst each other. It was expected that the justices cared deeply about the issues that they had to resolve in every case. Despite this, Iacobucci said there were many laughs among the justices, and that civility was maintained at all costs, as is required by the institution of justice. An important lesson can be taken away here – “Disagreement is what the law is made of – it needs to happen”.
In answering questions from the audience, the Supreme Court Justice highlighted the immense pressure that comes with a judgeship; while there are constraints, at the end of the day it is down to judges to shape the law. Iacobucci was most often frustrated by the difficulty in dealing with problems solely through a legal lens rather than a societal perspective.
In discussing his time at law school, he told a relatable story to the students of Osgoode: it was “barbaric”. He reminisced on the many times that the entire class grades were posted publicly for everyone to see. On a more positive note, Iacobucci enjoyed his time teaching law at the University of Toronto, particularly the sense of responsibility that he felt towards students.
Perhaps the most enlightening of Iacobucci’s insights was his favorite saying, “learning about to learn from”. As the child of an immigrant family, he held this attitude throughout his childhood and career. Of particular interest is the lesson that law students and the wider public can learn from this mindset, particularly when it comes to balancing the interests of Indigenous peoples and the law, as well as other minority groups.
In closing, Iacobucci humorously told the audience that his favorite thing about Italians was their creativity, but he disliked their lack of discipline. Conversely, he admired Canadians for their discipline, but disliked their lack of creativity. Perhaps Iacobucci was trying to point to the strengths of diversity and the power of a country like Canada to bring its people together.
On behalf of all of Osgoode – thank you Justice Iacobucci for your time in serving Canada and making it a better home for all Canadians.