NATIONAL PROSECUTION AWARDS 2024

OTTAWA, ON, Oct. 23, 2024 /CNW/ - Yesterday, in an award ceremony held in Toronto, the Federal-Provincial-Territorial (FPT) Heads of Prosecutions Committee recognized the outstanding accomplishments of Canadian prosecutors The Award Program, instituted in 2006, honours professional excellence, exemplary service, and outstanding achievements.

The following prosecutors were recognized for their contributions to advancing and promoting the role of prosecutors within the Canadian criminal justice system:

The Outstanding Achievement in a Prosecution Award 2024 was awarded to a team and an individual. The team from the British Columbia Prosecution Service, which included Heather Guinn, Kristen LeNoble, Louise Kenworthy, and Marcel Daigle, was recognized for the prosecution of the high-profile case of R. v. Coban. The prosecution team navigated the complexities of an investigation spanning multiple countries, worked collaboratively with justice officials and witnesses in Canada and abroad, and mastered highly detailed and technical evidence.

This award was also presented to Richard Rougeau from Quebec's Bureau de la grande criminalité et des affaires spéciales, Directeur des poursuites criminelles et pénales, as the lead prosecutor for the "Honorer" case. The trial judge described the case as "one of the worst if not the worst examples of municipal corruption that has been brought before a Canadian court." Mr. Rougeau distinguished himself by how he led this case. He anticipated difficulties, acted with humility and showed an exceptional capacity to work as part of a team.

The Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Award was awarded to two recipients: Jerilee Ryle and Kathleen Roussel. Jerilee Ryle from the Manitoba Prosecution Service created and chaired the Indigenous Advisory Council (IAC). Under Ms. Ryle's leadership, the IAC has become an integral resource in the development of policy and has provided valuable resources, support, advice and input to all levels of the Manitoba Prosecution Service. Ms. Ryle became the Reconciliation Lead in 2023 and is responsible for ensuring that the recommendations of the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry, the Truth and Reconciliation Committee, and the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Inquiry are implemented.

As the former Director of Public Prosecution, Kathleen Roussel implemented wide-ranging changes to the Public Prosecution Service of Canada (PPSC) to reduce the continued mass incarceration of historically marginalized groups and to pivot the PPSC to a more human-centric approach so that the PPSC becomes more diverse, inclusive, and accessible. These changes impacted all aspects of the PPSC's work, including updating the PPSC's mission and values, implementing mandatory intersectionality training, changing operational policies in the PPSC Deskbook, sharing tools with national and international Heads of Prosecutions' colleagues, and implementing numerous initiatives to improve equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility and official languages at the PPSC.

Backgrounder: National Prosecution Awards 2024

SOURCE Public Prosecution Service Canada

INFORMATION: Amélia Sauvé, Coordinator, FPT Heads of Prosecutions Committee, 613-292-3549