Each year, AJEFO, the Association des juristes d’expression française de l’Ontario, awards the Ordre du mérite to individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the advancement of legal services in French, to the development of French common law, and to the promotion of linguistic rights in Canada.
Professor Campagnolo’s selection recognizes his exceptional leadership and the impact of his scholarship. He currently serves as Vice-Dean of the French Common Law Program, one of only two French-language common law programs in the world. His research, meanwhile, tackles complex subjects with an energy and attention to detail that make his work both deeply informative and highly readable.
Most recently, he launched the “Common law en bref” project, an effort to demystify Canadian common law for French-speaking minority communities. Published as a series of approximately 20 volumes, the forthcoming collection will present the fundamentals of Canadian common law in a way that anyone with an interest in law can understand. Additionally, Professor Campagnolo has recently co-edited a new edition of a seminal two-volume set that introduces Canadian common law and Quebec civil law from a comparative law perspective. Working alongside Professors Louise Bélanger-Hardy and Aline Grenon, he has updated Elements of Quebec Civil Law: A Comparison with the Common Law of Canada and Éléments de common law canadienne: comparaison avec le droit civil québécois to ensure that these groundbreaking works reflect the latest legal developments.
In addition to his academic achievements, Professor Campagnolo has championed innovation in legal education. Under his leadership as Vice-Dean, the French Common Law Program has become the first law program in Canada to make a course in language rights mandatory for all students. This represents a bold step toward reinforcing the Faculty of Law’s mission of ensuring access to justice in French outside of Quebec. Professor Campagnolo also serves on AJEFO’s Board of Directors, where he plays an active role, particularly through the association’s intervention committee.
Professor Campagnolo will be honoured at AJEFO’s 45th Annual Conference Gala on June 7, 2025, in Kingston.
The Common Law Section congratulates Professor Campagnolo on this exceptional and well-deserved recognition!