I love Valentine’s Day as much as I love chocolate. Chocolate is part of my favourite food group – I call it the brown food group – chocolate, fries, burgers… Combining chocolate and Valentine’s Day was definitely a genius idea. I think it suitably takes away the guilt associated with eating chocolate. That Valentine’s Day is followed by Family Day in Alberta also seems like a perfect combination – another celebration of love – the love of family.
It was the love for my mother and compassion for her situation that made me decide to enter the law game when I was nine years old. A world that required her to work two full time jobs to raise five children did not seem fair. The refusal and failure of my father to honour his obligations to his family if my mother chose to not be married to him did not seem fair. That my, until then, “stay-at-home” mother had to co-sign all his loans and so also had to take over these additional financial responsibilities (as he failed there too) did not seem fair either. My mother is one of my superheroes. She never skipped a beat, she met the challenge with every opportunity available to her, driven by a love of family.
I was young at a time when there were applicable laws and family law lawyers, but having a framework and the ability to access it are two entirely different things. Lawyers cost money. Self-representing is confusing. Even with court orders in place to assist, these can be ignored to some extent. Systems and remedies are better now but many people feel they do not have access to justice except in theory. I thought being an actual lawyer might bring me one step closer to helping people access it. Still doing my best but always looking for alternatives to solving problems.
That is what the rule of law is about (instead of, for example, the rule of kings), it is to be non-arbitrary and apply to all of us. And then it needs to be enforced, and in Canada that can include everything short of the death penalty. The legal profession is there to enable persons to have representation in understanding, accessing, and enforcing the rule of law. If everyone intuitively agreed to all the same rules, we would not need the rule of law to function as a society.
At the same time, you can’t have a law for everything. There are other ways to attempt to achieve equality and a just society. Collaborative law, mediations and other types of dispute resolution scenarios abound and give potentially more cost-effective solutions within the control of the parties (versus the judge).
To what extent can you have laws and still have freedoms? Where is that line? What are the best alternatives for making a better world in any given situation? As we are in a period of overwhelming technological and cultural changes and realizations (and increasing mental health concerns and awareness) what is the best way to support humans, including those they love and serve?
Enter the power of love as an alternative. At a startup club meeting this week, Nicole Gibson of the Love out Loud Foundation and youngest Commonwealth Commissioner in history (Australia) shared her experiences and mission with us. She is an amazing young woman who almost died as a teenager from anorexa nervosa. Her school principal stepped in and his caring turned her almost fatal situation around. Someone was listening and took action. She is an incredible visionary with a focus to facilitate a tipping point in human consciousness “to actualize a civilization of love by 2030”. I love it and wish more power to her. Enjoy your family day.
Donna Purcell, K.C., (aka Lady Justice) is a Central Alberta lawyer and Chief Innovation Officer with Donna Purcell QC Law. If you have legal questions, contact dpurcell@dpqclaw.com.