Jack Woodward
Jack Woodward KC (born 3 October 1951) is a Canadian lawyer. He specializes in Canadian Aboriginal law and is the author of Aboriginal Law in Canada, a leading publication on the subject.
Woodward has represented numerous First Nations groups in landmark cases including Tsilhqot'in Nation v British Columbia, the first successful Aboriginal title claim in Canada.
Woodward has practiced law since 1979, primarily in the areas of Aboriginal law and environmental law. He has represented more than a hundred First Nations groups and organizations in a wide variety of legal actions including the landmark case, Tsilhqot'in Nation v British Columbia, the first successful Aboriginal title claim in Canada.
Woodward wrote the first draft of section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982, which provides constitutional protection to the indigenous and treaty rights of indigenous peoples in Canada. Ian Waddell, in his book Take the Torch: A Political Memoir, states that Woodward drafted the clause in January 1981, during negotiations in Ottawa with Minister of Justice Jean Chrétien. This is also referred to in the book Box of Treasures or Empty Box? Twenty Years of Section 35 on page 18.
Woodward established the legal firm Woodward and Company in Victoria, B.C. He was also an adjunct professor of law at the University of Victoria for nineteen years, where he was instrumental in creating the university's first course in Aboriginal law.
In December 2011 Woodward was instated as a Queen's Counsel for the Canadian province of British Columbia.
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