Professor Yan Campagnolo, Professor Louise Bélanger-Hardy, and retired Professor Aline Grenon have received first prize in the 2026 “Collective Work” category of the Quebec Bar Foundation’s annual “Concours juridique” for their companion volumes, 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.
Recognizing the quality and ambition of the two volumes, the award committee, chaired by the Honourable Simon Chamberland, highlighted their contribution to the pan-Canadian discussion of private law and Canadian bijuralism. The committee praised the authors’ efforts to build bridges between Canada’s legal traditions and make doctrinal knowledge more accessible in both English and French. It also noted the quality and fluidity of the writing, the balancing of the various contributions, and the works’ practical value to the legal community.
Originally published in 2008, the two volumes have been extensively updated to reflect the latest developments in Canadian law. The English-language volume examines key areas of Quebec civil law, including property, trusts, contracts, extracontractual civil liability, and private international law, while comparing them with Canadian common law. Its French-language companion takes the reverse approach, introducing key areas of Canadian common law in comparison with Quebec civil law.
The project also reflects the continuing evolution of Canada’s legal landscape. The updated volumes provide an important resource for legal professionals and students navigating issues across legal traditions while supporting a broader understanding of Canadian bijuralism.
This is not the first time the Quebec Bar Foundation has recognized Professor Campagnolo’s work. In 2021, his book Le secret ministériel : théorie et pratique received an honourable mention in the Foundation’s legal writing competition in the “Monograph” category.
This award is part of a remarkable series of successes for the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Law, which won awards in all five categories of the 2026 legal writing competition. In addition to Professors Campagnolo, Grenon and Bélanger-Hardy, Professor Pascale Cornut St-Pierre of the Civil Law Section and doctoral student Alexandra Bahary-Dionne won first prize in the “Legal Article” category; part-time Professor Mustapha Boussaffara won in the “New Author” category; and doctoral student Marilyn Coupienne won in the “Professional Practice Manual and Directory” category.
Congratulations to Professors Campagnolo, Bélanger-Hardy, and Grenon, as well as to all of the other Faculty of Law winners on these outstanding honours!
View the winners of the 2026 legal writing competition (in French).