The Honourable Hugh Landerkin, QC, Law’67, shown in his judicial portrait that is displayed prominently on the Judicial Wall of the Queen’s Law building, is the 2018 recipient of the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers awarded by the Governor General of Canada.
The Honourable Hugh Landerkin, QC, Law’67, shown in his judicial portrait that is displayed prominently on the Judicial Wall of the Queen’s Law building, is the 2018 recipient of the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers awarded by the Governor General of Canada. At Queen's Law, he's also the benefactor of the William R. Lederman Visitorship that brings distinguished individuals of national or international renown in law to campus, where they engage in the intellectual life of the school.

The Governor General of Canada has awarded the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers to the Honourable Hugh Landerkin, QC, Law’67. The medal, for exceptional volunteer achievements, recognizes the judicial experience he has applied to curriculum development and teaching over the past decade. This experience includes his role in expanding the peace and conflict studies program at Royal Roads University in partnership with five partner universities in Thailand. 

“I am both flattered and honoured to receive this award,” he says, “as it recognizes my contributions abroad, particularly in Thailand, where I lectured, and also trained Thai judges, lawyers, educators, university students and mediators in conflict analysis and management, principally in non-adversarial justice constructs.” 

Landerkin’s work with Royal Roads University came about after a serious health scare. “I suffered a massive, near-fatal heart attack in 1997, whilst I was a sitting Family and Youth Court judge in Calgary. Subsequently, the Alberta Judicial Council declared me disabled, and placed me on long-term medical leave. With a badly damaged heart, I knew that I could no longer stay in Calgary because of its altitude and cold weather, both of which made my heart work harder, and tired me out sooner.  

“I moved to Vancouver Island near Sidney,” he continues. “As luck would have it, my best friend in Calgary, a former B.C. college president, knew Jerry Kelly, the incoming President of Royal Roads. The Dean of the Peace and Conflict Division put me to work, asking me to do ‘as much as I can, when I can.’ And thus began my new career as an academic, where I proved to myself that being disabled does not mean unable.”

The Sovereign’s Medal – which follows a 2002 Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal for his distinguished contribution to public service, and a 2005 Alberta Centennial Medal for his significant contribution to his fellow citizens, community and to Alberta – is what he calls “a fitting capstone to a wonderful career in law” since graduating from Queen’s in 1967.

For his alma mater, Landerkin made a most generous donation that established the William R. Lederman Visitorship in September 2017. Through the visitorship, which commemorates the school’s first Dean, distinguished individuals of national or international renown in law are brought to Queen’s for short-term visits, engaging in the intellectual life of the Faculty. The inaugural Lederman Visitor was Mark Dockstator, President of the First Nations University of Canada, who presented “Reconciliation in Canada: Difference Perspectives” during his time at Queen’s. Plans are already underway to bring the next distinguished Lederman Visitor to Queen’s Law this fall.