Commodore Geneviève Bernatchez, CD, Judge Advocate General (JAG) of the Canadian Armed Forces (right) with UAlberta Law Dean Paul Paton (Photo by Joyful Emotion Photography)
On Wednesday, October 25, the Judge Advocate General (JAG) of the Canadian Armed Forces, Commodore Geneviève Bernatchez, CD, signed a first-of-its-kind in Canada MOU with the Faculty of Law.
The signing formally inaugurated the Faculty's new Office of the JAG Internship, in which four students are currently enrolled, whereby students will support the legal team stationed at CFB Edmonton.
UAlberta Law Dean Paul Paton lauded the new partnership as a milestone for the Faculty.
"It's hard to overstate the importance of the work the Office of the JAG does, and our JAG interns are already making valuable contributions to our military justice system while gaining experience available through no other law school in the country. As Dean of the Faculty of Law, it has been deeply heartening to see the growth of experiential education opportunities like this at our faculty," he said.
The signing ceremony was attended by several senior JAG officers in military garb and began with the singing of O Canada by the 10 to 14-year-olds of the Cantilon Chamber Choir.
Commodore Bernatchez, whose role Dean Paton characterized as being the Armed Forces' equivalent to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, also applauded UAlberta Law's role in the partnership.
"The efforts of Vice-Dean Moin Yahya and Major Geoff Smith to see this project through deserves to be recognized. They never relented and remained devoted to this vision," she said.
Front-Line Learning
Third-year student Ali Matour, one of the four students currently enrolled in the JAG Internship, was moved to apply for the program by an October 2015 lecture hosted by Major Patricia Beh and Lieutenant-Commander Mike Madden entitled "Law on the Front Lines".
"I found this area of law to not only be highly captivating, but congruent with my undergraduate studies in criminology," he said.
"I've always thought that the U of A is on the cutting edge of providing practical experience. This sort of experience is hard to come by."
The internship is offered in both the fall and winter terms and involves gaining hands on experience in the areas of criminal procedure, evidence issues, administrative law, case law and writing legal opinions.
Dane Patton, another third-year student participating in the internship this term, was drawn to the program in part by his personal (and family) military background. A former Air Force cadet who obtained his pilot's license when he was 16, he says the program was a perfect fit for him.
"Growing up in a family with a deep military background instills you with a great sense of respect for the Canadian Forces, especially in regards to how the Forces truly makes a difference domestically and abroad. It's much more than what you see on the news," he said, noting that several of his great-grandfathers fought in the trenches and in the air during World War I and that his grandfather was in the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II.
When asked if he would recommend the JAG internship to another student, Patton didn't hesitate in answering.
"100 per cent," he said.