News

Congratulations to Professor Jonathan Shapiro, who was part of a small federal Department of Justice litigation team that recently won a DOJ National Excellence Award for their work on the Manuge file.

The case was a national class action lawsuit over military-pension clawbacks brought by discharged veterans. The lead plaintiff was disabled Halifax veteran Dennis Manuge, who was injured in an accident at Canadian Forces Base Petawawa in Ontario just before being deployed to Bosnia in 2001.

Shapiro practiced law for 10 years with the DOJ Canada prior to joining the Schulich School of Law, where he teaches Civil Procedure, Criminal Law, and Legal Research and Writing. For the Manuge file, he wrote the certification motion and several other stages of the case, including the constitutional argument. The estimated total value of the proposed settlement, which was awarded in 2013, was up to $887.8 million, including $423.3 million in retroactive payments, which in turn includes $82.6 million in interest.

“I’m glad the veterans got the settlement they were entitled to. They put their physical and mental well-being on the line for their country.”

“I’m glad the veterans got the settlement they were entitled to – they put their physical and mental well-being on the line for their country,” says Shapiro. “I chose to work in public service to give back to Canadians. It’s nice to be recognized for doing good-quality work for the government.”

 “We congratulate Jon on this achievement," says Dean Camille Cameron. "The knowledge and skills that earned him this award in his work as a Department of Justice lawyer are brought into his teaching, and we are so pleased that our students benefit in the classroom from Jon's extensive experience in the courtroom.”