TORONTO, April 13, 1998 -- York University President Dr. Lorna Marsden is pleased to announce the five-year appointment of Professor Peter W. Hogg as Dean of Osgoode Hall Law School, effective July 1, 1998.

"Professor Hogg is one of Canada's finest constitutional lawyers and most eminent legal scholars. We are delighted that such a fine person will lead one of York University's most distinguished faculties. His appointment will bring great, and further, distinction upon the School," said Marsden.

Hogg, 59, has been a Professor of Law at Osgoode Hall Law School, York University since 1970. He earned his LLB from the University of New Zealand in 1962, his LLM from Harvard University a year later, and his PhD from Melbourne's Monash University in 1970.

Since his call to the bar of Ontario in 1973, Hogg has successfully combined and complemented his teaching and scholarly responsibilities with work as outside counsel, commentator, and provider of expert testimony in constitutional law. He appeared as counsel in such constitutional cases as the Anti-Inflation Act, Manitoba Language Rights and Ontario Separate School Funding. Throughout his career, Hogg has been called on to advise the Federal government, Provincial governments, legislative committees, various public bodies, and private law firms. For the last eight years, he has been associated with the law firm of Blake, Cassels & Graydon, where he is now the "scholar in residence."

Hogg's writings have been cited frequently by courts of all levels in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Israel. Furthermore, he has been cited in the Supreme Court of Canada more than twice as often as any other author.

He became a member of the Queen's Counsel in 1980, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 1988, an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1991, and a recipient of the Law Society Medal, Law Society of Upper Canada in 1996. That same year, Hogg received a Teaching Excellence Award, bestowed by students at Osgoode Hall Law School.

"As Dean, I hope to build on Osgoode's excellence in legal scholarship, which draws top students and faculty, and its penchant for forward-thinking, innovative programs and projects," said Hogg, referring to such recent initiatives as the development of the Innocence Project, the expansion of the Professional Development Program, and the establishment of the Jack and Mae Nathanson Centre for the Study of Organized Crime and Corruption.

As the author of six books, including Constitutional Law of Canada, and Principles of Canadian Income Tax Law, and scores of articles on public law, Hogg has written on a wide range of issues from the impact of The Meech Lake Accord on the Charter of Rights to constitutional jurisdiction over violence in the mass media to the constitutional aspects of federal securities legislation.

"Professor Hogg's exceptional skill as a legal scholar, teacher and lawyer have enhanced Osgoode for nearly three decades and equip him admirably to lead this influential and innovative law school," said outgoing Osgoode Hall Law School Dean Marilyn Pilkington.

Osgoode Hall Law School is Canada's largest common-law law school with the largest Law Library in the Commonwealth. Founded in 1889, the School joined York University in the summer of 1969. It admits about 300 first year students each year and has 50 full-time faculty. Students choose from a rich and varied curriculum of over 100 courses, seminars, and intensive clinical programs. Osgoode has exchange programs with l'Universite de Montreal in Canada and with universities in Italy, China, France and Japan. It is also known for innovation in legal education -- and especially for combining theory, policy, and practice in intensive clinical programs.

For more information, please contact:

Sine MacKinnon
Senior Advisor, Media Relations
York University
(416) 736-2100, ext. 22087
YU/035/98