Message from the President

​Who are we? Who are we as Italians and of course who are we as Italian jurists? As Italians, we have a great deal in common. Most of us come from very hard-working parents and thanks to this we, as a community, have thrived and have attained relative success in every sphere of endeavour. There is no denying that our grand-parents and parents had to endure monumental hardships, at times humiliation and tremendous sacrifice, and it is because of this that we are what you see today. They were ordinary people, almost no one had a university education but they were hard workers, builders and excellent teachers. They left us with great values, which we all wish to transmit to our children.

As jurists, we are the men and women who chose a particular path. We chose to become lawyers, notaries, judges and law professors. It truly is an honourable vocation. The standards are high and we have all certainly realized that we are a privileged group of Italians, who have over the years contributed immensely to the Quebec and Canadian framework.
Our association saw its origins on May 29th, 2002. It was a momentous evening, as members of the Italian legal community gathered in the auditorium of the Casa d´Italia, discussing ideas about who we were and what we should be. Defining a clear path for our association was not easy amid the vast range of ideas and positions that were exchanged. After a long and fruitful discussion, the path was finally decided upon and the Association of Italian-Canadian jurists of Quebec (AICJQ) was born. The general principles that emerged from those early meetings continued to guide us over the years and today I am proud to say that we have become a remarkable community of Italian-Canadian jurists.

Since those early days, our raison d'être has evolved. Although it may seem simple, the task of defining our goals has not always been so clear. We had times where we felt compelled to stand up and make our voice heard on the social issues and values, ​​we believed in. We felt it was necessary for us to get involved in very public debates on issues that we felt were important. Then there were times when we felt it was imperative to remain strictly a professional association of jurists, that should refrain from politicizing itself. This reflection culminated in the issuance by the Board of Directors of a more decisive mission, more clearly defined, all in an effort to establish direction in our decision-making and our place in the legal and social community.

 

We are now guided by a three (3) part mission:

• to establish a support network for and on behalf of Italian-Canadian jurists in Quebec;

• to advance and promote the place held by Italian-Canadians in Quebec society;

• to assist members of the Italian-Canadian community in Quebec as a whole and bring to light any discriminatory practices against them.