Profile
Gerry provides advocacy and advice on business, regulatory, governance, healthcare and ethics issues for public sector and private sector clients.
He helps in the creation of the law through testimony before Parliamentary Committees and he assists in the interpretation of the law through submissions before the Supreme Court of Canada. His practice also includes hearings before administrative tribunals and trial and appeal courts on a diverse range of legal questions, including: charity, constitutional, defamation, education, electoral, environmental, First Nations, health, human rights, media, municipal, natural resources, privacy and public safety issues.
Gerry is a Contributing Editor of the Charter and Human Rights Litigation Quarterly and is a member of the American Health Lawyers Association, the Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice and the International Commission of Jurists.
His scholarship includes over 70 articles on legal topics such as the Constitution, hospitals and healthcare, the environment, First Nations, education, administrative law, human rights, elections, charitable organizations and public safety.
He serves on the board of directors of a number of charities with a focus on health and the sciences.
Professional Achievements
- Bachelor of Laws (1984) and Master of Laws (1990) from University of Alberta Law School
- Contributing Editor, Charter and Human Rights Litigation Quarterly
- Past Chair and Co-chair to a number of Canadian Bar Association committees, including the national Constitutional and Human Rights Law Section and the Canada for Tomorrow Committee of the Alberta Branch of the Canadian Bar Association
- Member, Federal Judicial Advisory Committee for Alberta, 2006-2008
- Served as an adjunct professor at Canadian University College
- Appointed Queen’s Counsel, 2006
- Awarded Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012 for public service to Canada
Representative Work
Gerry has represented clients in the Supreme Court of Canada on significant matters of public policy in Canada, including:
• University Licensing and Regulation
• Charter Rights and Freedoms
• Provincial and Federal Jurisdictional Disputes
• Human Rights and Labour Relations
• Media Regulations
• Rail Transportation
• Environmental Review and Assessment
• Municipal By-laws and Administrative Decisions
• Charity Regulations
• Controverted Elections (Federal, Provincial and Municipal)
• Health Care Regulatory Bodies and Professional Ethics Enforcement
• The Regulation and Funding of K-12 Schools
• Hospitals and Health Care Privileges
• The Polygamy Reference
• Euthanasia
• Defamation Law and Hate Speech Rules
• First Nations Governance
• Insurance
• Election Advertising and Campaign Finance Laws
Board Appointments
• Member, Board of Directors, The Gimbel Eye Foundation
• Member, Board of Trustees, Canadian University College, 1985-2001
• Member, Board of Directors, Calgary Distress Centre, 2000-2001
• Member, Advisory Board, Canadian Journal of Clinical Medicine, 1997-2000
• Presiding Officer, Non-profit Private Colleges Foundation, 1996-1999
• Member of the National Council of the Canadian Bar Association, 1995-1998
• Member, Board of Directors, New Home Immigration Service, 1994-1995
• Advisory Member, Board of Directors of the Greater Edmonton Foundation 1992-1994
Publications
- Canada’s First Ambassador to the Office of Religious Freedom, 2013
- The Protection of Freedom of Expression is not Just the Responsibility of the Courts, Charter and Human Rights Quarterly, 2013
- Another Free Speech Precedent in Alberta, Charter and Human Rights Quarterly, 2013
- Polygamy: The Curious Case Of The Unrequited Reference, Charter and Human Rights Quarterly, 2013
- Parliament acted legally when it passed Bill C-18, 2012
Industry Expertise
Key Practice Expertise
Areas of Focus
Constitutional Litigation
Health Professions Regulation
First Nations
Election and Lobbying Law
Education Law
Research Ethics and Regulation
Municipal
Year of Call
- Alberta Bar, 1985