Kim Pate was awarded the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, at the 9:30 a.m. ceremony on Wednesday, June 12, “in recognition of her tireless efforts and outstanding leadership in promoting human rights for women within the justice system.”
Kim Pate is the executive director of the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies (CAEFS). She is a lawyer and teacher by training, has completed postgraduate work in the area of forensic mental health, and is
a part-time professor at the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Law. CAEFS is a federation of autonomous societies which work with, and on behalf of, marginalized, victimized, criminalized and institutionalized women and girls throughout Canada. She has also worked with youth and men during her 29 years of working in and around the legal and penal systems.
She has received many honours and awards, including the Canadian Civil Liberties Association Award for Excellence, the Governor General’s Award in Commemoration of the Persons Case, and the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund Equality Award. She has an honorary doctorate from the University of Ottawa.