TORONTO, Jan. 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Emond Publishing, Canada’s leading independent legal publisher, is proud to announce that author Jonathan Rudin has won the 2019 Walter Owen Book Prize for his publication, Indigenous People and the Criminal Justice System: A Practitioner’s Handbook (Toronto, Emond Publishing). His book is the 7^th volume in Emond’s “Criminal Law Series,” a collection of monographs that cover discrete areas of criminal practice and is anchored by the expertise of General Editors Brian H. Greenspan and Justice Vincenzo Rondinelli. 

After winning the 2018 Hugh Lawford Award for Excellence in Legal Publishing for their Criminal Law Series, the Walter Owen Book Prize represents another major milestone for Emond Publishing. Paul Emond, President and CEO, extends his thanks:

“We are deeply honoured to receive this award from The Canadian Foundation for Legal Research. We will continue to strive to provide the Canadian legal market with best-in-class content that is both practical and affordable for practitioners and the judiciary.”

This prestigious award honours its namesake, who was the first President of the Foundation in 1959. In alternate years, the Prize is awarded to English and French books to recognize excellent legal writing and outstanding new contributions to Canadian legal doctrine.

Founder and current Program Director of Aboriginal Legal Services in Toronto, Jonathan Rudin had the following to say:

“I’m very honoured to receive the Walter Owen Book Prize. Over the last few years there has been an increased awareness that we cannot discuss criminal law in Canada without examining the impact of those laws on Indigenous people. It is also necessary that lawyers and judges understand that cases involving Indigenous accused persons and victims require specific knowledge and skills. I hope my book can contribute to these discussions.”

Mr. Rudin was selected from among 35 nominees to receive a $15,000 cash prize for his work. The Foundation’s Prize Jury found Rudin’s treatment of the issues relating to Indigenous people in Canada’s criminal justice system to be “painstakingly comprehensive, compassionate and exceptionally articulate.” The Jury, comprised of current or retired Justices, university faculty and practicing lawyers, anticipates that “Rudin’s book will become an essential primary reference for the subject.”

Michelle C. Awad, Q.C., Chair of The Canadian Foundation for Legal Research, extended her thanks and congratulations:

“Book Prize winners and finalists have produced works that are invaluable to the entire legal community in Canada. We offer our heartfelt congratulations to Mr. Rudin for developing a pivotal guide for practitioners who work with Canada’s Indigenous population.”

For more information about the Walter Owen Book Prize and The Canadian Foundation for Legal Research, please visit www.cflr-fcrj.ca. For more information on Emond Publishing, please visit www.emond.ca.

Media Contact: Anthony Rezek, Vice President, Publishing, ARezek@emond.ca