Emilio Binavince | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 2, 1935 Rosales, Pangasinan, Philippines |
| Nationality | Filipino-Canadian |
| Occupation(s) | Lawyer, academic |
| Known for | First Filipino called to the bar in Ontario and Saskatchewan |
Emilio Binavince (born April 2, 1935) is a Filipino-Canadian lawyer and legal scholar. He was the first person of Filipino descent to be called to the bars of Ontario (1971) and Saskatchewan (1986). [1]
Binavince was born in Rosales, Pangasinan, Philippines. He completed a Bachelor of Arts in 1954 and a Bachelor of Laws in 1957 at Manuel L. Quezon University. [2] In 1958, he was admitted to the Philippine bar. As a Fulbright scholar, he earned a Master of Comparative Law from Tulane University and an LL.M. from Harvard Law School in 1962. He later received a Humboldt Fellowship and completed legal studies at the University of Bonn in Germany. [3]
In 1965, Binavince joined the Faculty of Law at the University of Ottawa, where he founded the Ottawa Law Review in 1966 and served as its first faculty editor. [4] He played a key role in establishing the university's Joint LL.B./M.B.A. Program and co-directed the graduate law program. He was appointed full professor in 1970 and was a visiting professor at New York University in 1972. He remained at the University of Ottawa until 1986.[ citation needed ]
Binavince practiced law with Gowling & Henderson, later joining Cogan & Cogan in Ottawa. He eventually opened his own practice, representing clients including governments, corporations, individuals, and advocacy groups such as Amnesty International and the Minority Advocacy and Rights Council. [5] He appeared before all levels of the Canadian judiciary, including the Supreme Court. In 1986, he was appointed to the Philippine Presidential Commission on Good Government. [6]
Binavince married Brigitte Neugebauer, whom he met during his research fellowship in Germany. They have three children, all of whom became lawyers. [1]