Professionalism, Ethics and How to Conduct Yourself as a Lawyer in the Post-Pandemic Era
General Guest Speakers
Join The Honourable Martel Popescul, KC, Chief Justice of the Court of King's Bench, for this look at the legal profession after the Covid-19 pandemic.
Professionalism, Ethics and How to Conduct Yourself as a Lawyer in the Post-Pandemic Era
Guest Speaker: The Honourable Martel Popescul, Chief Justice of the Court of King's Bench
With the privilege of becoming a lawyer, comes the responsibility to adhere to ethical standards and conduct oneself in such a way to bring dignity to yourself and the profession. Covid-19 has resulted in an uptick in virtual hearings, increased informality, and the reduction of opportunities for less experienced lawyers to learn from watching senior practitioners. Where is the profession heading? Is it a good thing?
About the speaker: Chief Justice Martel D. Popescul KC obtained a BA from the University of Regina in 1976 and an LLB from the University of Saskatchewan in 1979. He was called to the Saskatchewan Bar in 1980. He was appointed Queen's Counsel (Canada) in 1992 and Queen's Counsel (Saskatchewan) in 2000. He served as a Bencher of the Law Society of Saskatchewan from 1998 to 2003 and was president in 2001. While a bencher, he chaired several committees, including the Law Society’s Ethics Committee. Chief Justice Popescul was appointed to the Court of Queen's Bench in 2006 and was appointed Chief Justice of that Court in 2012.
Chief Justice Popescul has been very active with the Canadian Judicial Council (CJC). He served on the Executive Committee from 2012 until 2015 and was reappointed to that committee again in 2023, where he continues to serve. He is currently the chair of the CJC’s Education Committee. He is also co-chair of the CJC’s National Committee on Jury Instructions, a position he has held for the past 10 years. The jury instructions created by the committee provide judges with standard language that they may use when speaking with members of juries about their duties, the nature of the criminal charge before the court, and the legal rules that apply to the jury's deliberations. He was co-chair of the CJC’s Judicial Independence Committee and guided that committee through the process of overhauling the Ethical Principles for Judges publication, which was released in 2021.
Chief Justice Popescul has frequently presented at legal and judicial education seminars and workshops. He has received multiple awards for his contributions to the legal and judicial community, including the Saskatchewan Legal Education Society Inc (SKLESI) Outstanding Volunteer Award (North) in 2005, SKLESI Award of Excellence for Legal Education Development in 2008, the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012, the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal in 2022 and the King Charles III Coronation Medal in 2024.
Event Details
- When:
- Time:
- 12:30 PM - 01:30 PM CST
- Location:
- MLT Aikins Lecture Theatre (Room 150), College of Law, 15 Campus Drive