LEAVING HIS MARK Hugh Kindred’s name is synonymous with international law for generations of Canadian law students and practitioners BY TRUDI SMITH 2019 was a banner year for Schulich Law Professor Emeritus Hugh Kindred. An accomplished 45 year career in international law teaching and scholarship at Dalhousie culminated in two prestigious tributes – receiving the Canadian Council on International Law (CCIL) John E. Read Gold Medal and having the definitive text on international law from a Canadian perspective named in his honour. Kindred’s interest in international law can be traced back to the first year of his LLB degree at the University of Bristol. After taking a course on the topic, his fascination with international law led him to pursue every opportunity in the area. He earned an LLM in international and soviet law at the University of London, and then travelled to the US where he added international economic law in a further LLM at the University of Illinois.
and practitioners. The first published volume to approach international law through a Canadian lens, the book has been cited by courts at all levels across the country - including the Supreme Court of Canada – and is referred to throughout the English speaking world. After editing five editions of the book over 30 years, including the 7th and 8th with colleagues Saunders and Currie, Kindred, already retired, passed it on to them. He says he was “amazed” when he learned the 9th edition in 2019 would be renamed Kindred’s International Law in his honour. “It’s ironic,” he says, “that now that I have nothing to do with the book, it’s named after me!” According to his co-editors, nothing could be further from the truth. In their preface to the 9th edition, Saunders and Currie wrote “The entire book still bears the imprint of his work, which is a major reason for its continued use and authoritative status in Canada and internationally.”
A few months after the publication of Kindred’s International Law in August, Professor Kindred travelled to Ottawa with his wife Sheila to receive his second honour of 2019 – the CCIL Read Medal. The medal commemorates the life and work of John Erskine Read, Q.C., a former dean of the Dalhousie Law School, and the only Canadian elected as a judge on the International In 1971, Kindred began teaching at what was then called Court of Justice. The medal is awarded to those who have made Dalhousie Law School. He recalls his first day of work, when a outstanding contributions to international law and policy in colleague greeted a nervous young student by calling out: “Hello Canada. It is not awarded each year – it is only given when the Bruce – great to see you at law school!” It was then that Kindred CCIL wants to recognize an individual with exceptional merit. understood the Dal law school community was special. “I had Past recipients have included former dean of the law school never known a professor who approached a student in such a Ronald St. John MacDonald and Douglas Johnston, founder of warm and friendly way. I sensed immediately that Dal would be a the Marine and Environmental Law Program. good place for me. The relationships that are built here between “I was astounded to learn that I’d won the award,” says Kindred. the student body and professors are extraordinary.” “It’s moving to be recognized by my peers and legal practitioners That nervous student on his first day was Professor Bruce across Canada.” The award ceremony featured speeches Archibald (’74), and he’s just one of the students that Kindred from CCIL board member Pierre-Olivier Savoie and Danaan has had a huge impact on during his teaching career. His former Hawes of Emond & Co, publisher of Kindred’s International Law. students are a “who’s who” of international law in Canada The award was presented by Katie Sykes of Thompson Rivers – including Schulich Law Professors Phillip Saunders (’84), University’s Faculty of Law, the last student Kindred supervised. Rob Currie (’98) and Aldo Chircop (JSD ’88). “With most Sykes’ speech was a fitting tribute to Kindred’s professional and law students, it’s hardly teaching,” he says modestly, “You just personal legacy. “Today, Canada is a global leader in international point them in the right direction.” Kindred worked full time at law, both academically and in the policy arena. That is in no Dalhousie until his retirement in 2008, and then continued small part thanks to the teaching and scholarship of Professor to teach, write and supervise graduate students part time Kindred. He combines this lifetime of tremendous scholarly until 2016. accomplishments with rare personal qualities of warmth, kindness, modesty and gentleness.” It was during his early teaching career that Kindred first encountered a book titled International Law, Chiefly as Kindred returned the favour in May of this year when he tuned Interpreted and Applied in Canada. He wrote a review of the in to the law school’s virtual convocation ceremony to cheer book in 1983. “I diplomatically said ‘This book is a gold mine of Sykes on as she received her PhD. He also has some advice for knowledge, but it is the job of the editor – not the reader – current and future law students, “Get involved. Study the law to do the mining.’” When Kindred became the editor shortly hard for sure, but you’ll learn as much through engagement with afterwards, he remained true to this philosophy, creating a book your classmates and faculty members as you will from books.” that became an essential for generations of students, scholars 36 |
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