I practice civil litigation and public law in Ottawa and Vancouver. I have a broad range of counsel experience including trials, appeals, arbitrations, judicial reviews, motions and opinion work.

From 2015 to 2018 I was the Executive Legal Officer to two successive chief justices of Canada, the Rt Hon Beverley McLachlin PC and the Rt Hon Richard Wagner PC. The Executive Legal Officer is the chief justice’s principal advisor in matters concerning the administration of the Supreme Court of Canada, the Canadian Judicial Council and the National Judicial Institute.

I am the author of Using International Law in Canadian Courts (1st ed 2002, 2nd ed 2008, 3d ed forthcoming). I have also contributed chapters and articles on reception law issues in many books and journals including, most recently, the Oxford Handbook of Comparative Foreign Relations Law (2019) and Kindred’s International Law, 9th ed (Emond, forthcoming). I am an annual contributor to the Canadian Yearbook of International Law.

I am a former law clerk to Madam Justice Jo-Ann Prowse of the Court of Appeal of British Columbia and Justices Charles Gonthier and Morris Fish of the Supreme Court of Canada.

You can reach me at gib@gibvanertlaw.com.