Mr. Bruce Carr-Harris

Bruce Carr-Harris provides a comprehensive oral history of his legal career spanning from the 1970s to early 2000s. Born in Kingston, Ontario, he studied journalism at Carleton University before earning his LLB from University of Ottawa Law School in 1975. He articled at Faskens in Toronto under future Supreme Court Justice John Sopinka before joining Scott & Aylen in Ottawa in 1977, where he built a successful civil litigation practice handling significant cases including defamation matters, Charter rights cases like R. v. Wise (the ‘Morewood killer’ case involving tracking devices), and complex commercial litigation.

Carr-Harris became deeply involved with The Advocates’ Society, ultimately serving as president in 2001. His presidency focused on expanding the organization beyond its Toronto base, recruiting criminal lawyers like Marlys Edwardh, addressing civility in the legal profession, and establishing comprehensive mentoring programs for young lawyers. He championed advocacy education and worked to maintain professional collegiality amid the increasingly commercial nature of legal practice. Throughout the interview, he reflects on the evolution of the Canadian legal profession, the challenges facing young lawyers, and the importance of maintaining integrity and honor in advocacy while adapting to changing professional demands.

This description was written by AI and may contain some inaccuracies.