The Deirdre G. Martin Memorial Privacy Law Award was created by Deirdre G. Martin’s friends and colleagues in the Insurance Bureau of Canada’s Legal Division to honour her memory and reward excellence among students of the Faculty of Law at the University of Ottawa. 

Deirdre G. Martin earned her law degree cum laude in 1978 from the Common Law Section. She was Senior Counsel with the Insurance Bureau of Canada from 1998 to 2006. She was an expert on the application of the federal, Alberta and British Columbia privacy laws to the property and casualty insurance industry. She was a gifted speaker who enjoyed making presentations on implementing these privacy laws. Between 2001 and 2004, she gave training seminars and presentations across Canada to over two thousand people from P&C insurance companies, independent brokers and claims adjusters. 

The selection committee may award one to two awards of a minimum of $1,000. On an exceptional basis, special mentions may also be awarded by the Centre for Law, Technology and Society. 

These awards are generously supported by the donors of the Deirdre G. Martin Memorial Fund. Special mentions are generously supported by donations made to the Centre for Law, Technology and Society. 

The selection committee will consider papers written in both French and English, submitted by a student enrolled in a course related to privacy law offered by the Faculty of Law (either in the Common Law Section; the Civil Law Section; or at the graduate level). 

The selection committee will also consider outstanding papers on the subject of privacy law that have been submitted for directed research project courses supervised by a professor who is affiliated with the Centre for Law, Technology and Society. 

Students cannot directly apply for this award.

Each year, regular and part-time professors teaching a privacy law-related course at the Faculty of Law are invited to submit up to three of the best papers received from students in their courses offered during the various academic sessions. Each professor may nominate up to three papers per course taught. 

Faculty members of the Centre for Law, Technology and Society may also nominate up to three papers submitted to directed research project courses. Please note that all directed research papers count as one course. 

There is one nomination campaign per academic year in the Spring. The professors will receive a message with the deadline to apply when the annual campaign is launched. 

This award program is managed by the Director of the Centre for Law, Technology and Society.

For any questions regarding this program, please reach out to the Centre at [email protected] .