National Prosecution Awards for Top Prosecutors

HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA--(Marketwired - Oct. 27, 2016) - The outstanding accomplishments of Canadian prosecutors were recognized by the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Heads of Prosecutions Committee at an awards ceremony held last night. The award program, instituted in 2006, honours professional excellence, exemplary service, and outstanding achievements.

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

The Commitment to Justice Award 2016 was awarded to two prosecutors: Mr. Douglas G. Curliss, Q.C., Senior General Counsel with the Public Prosecution Service of Canada's Saskatchewan Regional Office, and Mr. Louis Bouthillier, prosecutor with Quebec's Directeur des poursuites criminelles et pénales.

In the past two years, Mr. Curliss has led terrorism prosecutions in Ottawa and Vancouver, as well as a prosecution in the North against a former Catholic priest for sex crimes against children, all while continuing to handle his own caseload in the Saskatchewan Office. He has demonstrated his commitment to professional education both as a faculty member of the School for Prosecutors and as a training consultant for police.

Mr. Bouthillier has handled complex murder cases involving street gangs and organized crime. He led the prosecution in the Magnotta murder trial which concluded in December 2014 with a guilty verdict. Despite his substantial workload, he never hesitates to mentor young prosecutors and plays a large part in the training of the next generation of prosecutors.

The Courage and Perseverance Award 2016 was awarded to Mr. Kenneth M. McCaffrey, Crown prosecutor with the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service in Calgary. Despite being afflicted with Epidermolysis Bullosa, a rare genetic skin disorder, he has had a distinguished career in law. Before joining the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service, he spent many years with Legal Aid Manitoba, where he defended clients charged with a wide range of offences, including murder. Throughout his career, he has mentored numerous law students as well as high school students. In 2011, he was diagnosed with skin cancer. After a few months of recovery, he resumed his work on complex and high profile cases.

The Humanitarian Award 2016 was awarded to Mr. André A. Morin, Ad. E., Chief Federal Prosecutor of the Quebec Regional Office, Public Prosecution Service of Canada, for his outstanding contributions to the community. In addition to his dedication to the legal profession, Mr. Morin spends countless hours during evenings and his holidays helping those in need with charitable organizations supporting the poor, the marginalized and the sick.

The FPT Heads of Prosecutions Committee brings together the leaders of Canada's prosecution services to promote assistance and cooperation on operational issues relating to criminal prosecutions. The Committee also provides the prosecution perspective to Federal-Provincial-Territorial Ministers and Deputy Ministers Responsible for Justice.

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