Remembering Justice Randy Echlin

Respected judge made huge contributions to world of employment law

Stuart Rudner
By Stuart Rudner

Along with many, I was saddened today to learn of the passing of Justice Randy Echlin, a judge of the Ontario Superior Court.

Randy was an excellent lawyer, a respected Judge, a kind man and a good friend. His death is a loss to many, inluding the employment law bar and the justice system. As Norman Grosman expressed:

"He was without doubt one of the prolific leaders of the employment bar for many years while at BLG, and following that he was a distinguished and admired member of the bench for a several years, contributing to the development and refinement of the various nuances of our beloved niche area of the law. He was also a founding member of our illustrious TFK group. Randy will be greatly missed - for his wisdom, his caustic sense of humour, his writing, his playful and lay back approach to life and the law, and for getting so many of us ridiculous contributions to our costs. His passing leaves us all feeling we've lost a great friend far too soon."

Justice Echlin contributed inordinately to the world of HR law, and all of us impacted by that aspect of the law owe him a debt of gratitude. I offer my condolences to his family as they go through this difficult time. They should know what an impressive man he was, and they should be proud.

Some additional information:


A service celebrating Justice Echlin's life will be held in Leaside United Church, 822 Millwood Rd. in Toronto on Saturday, Sept. 10 at 2 p.m. No flowers please.

If desired, charitable and fully tax-deductible donations in Randy's memory may be made to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Box 1838, 386 Church St. S., St. Mary's, Ont., N4X 1C2.

Condolences and memories may be forwarded through www.humphreymiles.com.

Stuart Rudner is a partner with Miller Thomson LLP in Ontario, specializing in employment law. He provides clients with strategic advice regarding all aspects of the employment relationship, and represents them before courts, mediators and tribunals. He is author of You’re Fired: Just Cause for Dismissal in Canada, published by Carswell. He can be reached at (905) 415-6767 or [email protected]. You can also follow him on Twitter @CanadianHRLaw, join his Canadian Employment Law Group on LinkedIn, and connect with him on Google+.

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