St. FX University conferred degrees, diplomas and certificates to 240 students at its Fall Convocation on Saturday, held virtually. The university also honored one its former graduates, Provincial
Provincial Court Judge Laurel Halfpenny-MacQuarrie (St. FX University photo)
Court Judge Laurel Halfpenny- MacQuarrie. Halfpenny-MacQuarrie has been instrumental in setting up the Wellness Court in Port Hawkesbury and the Aboriginal Wellness and Gladue Court in Wagmatcook First Nation.
In her convocation address, Halfpenny-MacQuarrie says she shares the honour with her family as well Rod Googoo of We’koqma’q First Nation and Norman Bernard of Wagmatcook First Nation. Googoo and Bernard were Chiefs of their communities in the years during the inception of the of the court in Wagmatcook and the Donald Marshall Junior Center for Reconciliation and Justice. She says Googoo and Bernard have become friends for life.
Halfpenny-MacQuarrie says the court in Wagmatcook is a circular bench rather than the traditional set up where the judge is elevated, and set apart from the lawyers and the public. She says the Wagmatcook court had several goals, one of which was to de-colonize the criminal justice system. Halfpenny-MacQuarrie says it was important to her that the bench be circular so as to embody the important role the medicine wheel plays in the Mi’kmaw culture