Joseph J. Arvay, OC, OBC, QC In Memoriam

It is with great sadness that Arvay Finlay LLP mourns the death of our colleague and friend, Joseph J. Arvay, Q.C., O.C., O.B.C., who passed away suddenly on December 7, 2020. He was 71.

Joe’s career was marked by his hard work, sharp mind and creativity, but also by his passion for the causes he championed. He believed in the power of the law to both shape and reflect our society. He saw the law not as it was, but as it ought to be, and was more successful than anyone in moving it in that direction.

Joe is widely recognized as one of the most brilliant and successful constitutional and civil liberties lawyers of his time. He has appeared in the Supreme Court of Canada over 75 times on some of the defining cases of our generation including, among many others, medical assistance in dying, access to legal safe injection sites, the right of workers to associate in pursuit of workplace goals, and LGBTQ rights.

At the time of his death, Joe continued to carry on a busy litigation practice, including a case representing fifteen children and youth from across Canada to seek greater government action against climate change.

In 2017, Joe was made an Officer of the Order of Canada, and in 2018 was awarded the Order of British Columbia. He holds honorary Doctor of Laws degrees from Osgoode Hall Law School at York University and the University of Victoria. He received the Advocates’ Society Award of Justice in 2015 and is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and Litigation Council of America. For five consecutive years, he was named by Canadian Lawyer Magazine as one of the top 25 Most Influential Lawyers in Canada.

Joe was a remarkable advocate and an even more remarkable person. His interests outside the law were varied, and he pursued them with much the same passion as he did the law .. and he was oh so much fun! He danced, he played music, he laughed, and he made us laugh. He got away with more than he ought to have (in court and in life), because … well … he was Joe.

It is impossible to capture Joe’s career, his legacy, and his life in one post. Below you will find links to some of the tributes and stories about Joe. Otherwise, just ask anyone who knew him or got to see him in action to tell you some stories and we expect they would be happy to oblige.

Practice Profile

Tributes and Articles

Obituary - Earth’s Option

Tribute from the Supreme Court of Canada

Tribute in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia by the Honourable David Eby, Attorney General of British Columbia

Tribute in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia by the Honourable Murray Rankin, Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation

Tribute from the David Asper Centre for Constitutional Rights

Tribute from the BC Civil Liberties Association

Tribute from the Robinson Huron Treaty Litigation Fund

Tribute from Western Law School

Joe Arvay Changed Your Life - The Tyee, December 10, 2020

Joseph Arvay remembered as champion of human and civil rights in Canada, Canadian Lawyer, December 10, 2020