Andrew Petter Award in Law
Throughout his career, Andrew Petter has distinguished himself as a first-class student, teacher, scholar, public leader and university administrator. After pursuing undergraduate studies in political science and law at the University of Victoria and gaining a Master of Law from the University of Cambridge, Andrew practised as Crown counsel in Saskatchewan before teaching law at York University’s Osgoode Hall and UVic. During a 10-year political leave from UVic, he was twice elected to the B.C. Legislative Assembly and was minister in six major portfolios, including Aboriginal Affairs, Advanced Education, and Attorney General. His ability to reach across the divisions of politics and work productively with others won the respect of people on all sides and resulted in groundbreaking initiatives. Shortly after returning to UVic, in 2001, he was appointed Dean of the Faculty of Law, and during his tenure established the faculty’s graduate program and oversaw delivery of the Akitisiraq law program in Nunavut. Appointed president and vice-chancellor of Simon Fraser University in 2010, a position he held until 2020, Andrew has been described as an incisive and fearless critic in the area of Constitutional law and a visionary who leads with both wisdom and charisma. This award was established by the Y.P. Heung Foundation in honour of Andrew Petter’s long-standing relationship with the UVic Faculty of Law – as a student, a professor, and Dean.
The Y.P. Heung Foundation is a charitable organization based in Vancouver, whose mission is to positively impact British Columbia by providing grants in the areas of Arts + Culture, Education, and Health. Within these areas, they are particularly proud to support programs that benefit youth in our community.
With rising post-secondary tuition fees and the general challenge of affordability in all major urban centers in the province, academic awards such as the Andrew Petter Award in Law will encourage and support post-secondary students and help close the gap of inequality in the future, thus enhancing the economic performance of the overall community.