Sidney B. Linden Award
2019 Sidney B. Linden award goes to Timothy Lutes
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Timothy Lutes, a staff lawyer in Legal Aid Ontario’s Provincial Case Management Office, is the 2019 winner of the Sidney B. Linden Award.
Tim graduated from the University of Ottawa in 1980 and was called to the bar in 1982. He has worked for over 20 years with Legal Aid Ontario, first as per diem duty counsel, and then as supervisory duty counsel in Simcoe County starting in 2005 before coming to the Provincial Case Management Office in 2011.
Much of Tim’s work involves managing cases and determines budgets for Big Case Management and major multiple accused cases. These matters are complex and Tim’s role sees him working with defence counsel, as well as the judiciary and Crown, in order to facilitate the smooth progression of these cases through the judicial system and to ensure that public funds are spent appropriately.
As counsel, Mr. Lutes has also appeared in all levels of the court system, including the Supreme Court of Canada, where he was invited to join Jill Presser and Andrew Menchynski as they successfully defended R v. Safarzedeh-Markhali (2016). This appeal resulted in a judgment that has become important to people who come before courts for sentencing having been denied bail due to a prior conviction.
Legal Aid Ontario will honour Tim in a ceremony in Toronto in March.
The award
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Legal Aid Ontario created the Sidney B. Linden Award to honour exceptional individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to helping low-income people, and have given their time and expertise towards ensuring access to justice in Ontario.
The award is named in honour of Justice Sidney B. Linden, Legal Aid Ontario’s first chair of the board of directors. Justice Linden has been involved with legal aid for over 35 years, and his distinguished professional career has been characterized by a genuine commitment to issues concerning access to justice.
Since its inception, the Sidney B. Linden Award has been presented to twelve deserving recipients: Mary Birdsell, Grace Pluchino, Ryan Peck, Bob Richardson, William A. (Bill) Sullivan, Fergus J. (Chip) O’Connor, Peter G. Kirby, Michael Bossin, Barbara Jackman, J. Robert Kellermann, Paul Copeland and the late Dianne Martin.
The award statue
Toronto sculptor Siggy Puchta designed the Sidney B. Linden Award. The statue depicts the concept of access to justice through the upward and open gesture of ‘the lady of justice’ holding the scales of justice while at the same time welcoming those in need of legal aid services. Siggy’s design also captures the spirit of LAO’s logo.
Past Sidney B. Linden Award recipients