Tributes to Professor H. Patrick Glenn

We share here messages, thoughts and memories of our dear friend, Professor H. Patrick Glenn (1940-2014).


"The sad news was difficult to believe and to accept. I had the great privilege to have Patrick as a colleague. He was as kind as he was knowledgeable. I admired him very much. My heart goes out to Jane."
Ethel Groffier, DCL 1972, chercheure émérite, Centre Paul-André Crépeau de droit privé et comparé


"I extend my sincere condolences to Prof. Jane Glenn and family. I remember his cheerfulness, pleasanteries and wit while an employee in the SAO. His love will live on in his family."
Anne Farray, HR Advisor, McGill University


"Such sad news, such a great loss. Patrick Glenn made an enormous contribution to scholarship which goes well beyond having taught comparative lawyers to think in 'legal traditions' or how to pronounce "chthonic". I will also miss him for his modest and unassuming way of speaking with a calm authority which always remains open for new arguments."
Gerhard Dannemann, Professor, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin


"I have many fond memories of Pat and Jane when we were teaching together at McGill at the start of our academic careers in the early '70s. He was a delightful, thoughtful person and a lovely colleague. My heartfelt condolences to Jane and the entire family."
Brian Slattery, Professor, Osgoode Hall Law School, Toronto, BCL 1968


"Il y a déjà quelques jours que j’ai appris la nouvelle, mais j’ai encore peine à y croire. Pat, l’homme aux mille projets, qu’on croisait au hasard des évènements scientifiques, ou qui nous recevait sans façon dans son bureau du Old Chancellor Day Hall au milieu de ses centaines de livres, nous a quittés. Il avait été l’un de mes premiers professeurs au programme national de McGill (Foundations), puis en dernière année (Private International Law). 

Malgré mes insécurités de cégépienne francophone et les multiples points d’interrogation qui jonchaient mes cahiers de notes (« jaywalking, really? »), ses cours m’enchantaient et m’amenaient à me dépasser. Dans un format classique – comme quoi le cours magistral peut être stimulant lorsqu’il est enseigné par un grand pédagogue – et malgré la taille importante du groupe assemblé dans le Moot Court pour suivre ses cours, il savait nous communiquer la richesse de ses réflexions et, par-dessus tout, son amour pour le droit et l’enseignement du droit.

Plus tard, après être devenue professeure de droit, puis présidente de l’Association québécoise de droit comparé (AQDC), j’ai eu la chance de découvrir d’autres qualités qui n’ont fait qu’ajouter à l’admiration que j’avais déjà pour lui. Pour tout organisateur de colloque, il était le conférencier rêvé : son propos était toujours intéressant, le résultat d’une réflexion approfondie, servi avec un constant souci de clarté et un brin d’humour. Il savait que pour être un bon communicateur, il faut se faire comprendre de son auditoire, et il y parvenait sans jamais tomber dans la facilité. J’ai aussi profité de sa très grande sagesse, chaque fois que je me permettais de solliciter son avis sur des questions liées aux activités de l’Association québécoise (dont il était un membre assidu et un allié précieux), de l’Association canadienne (qu’il a présidée avec brio pendant plusieurs années), ou encore de l’Académie internationale de droit comparé (où il inspirait le plus grand respect).

Il était unanimement reconnu comme l’un des plus grands comparatistes de son époque. Certains diront même le meilleur. Mais si on lui avait demandé ce qu’il en pensait, il aurait certainement éclaté de rire – ou bien décroché un sourire espiègle – avec l’œil pétillant qui restera à jamais gravé dans notre mémoire. Une preuve convaincante que, malgré sa notoriété, il n'a jamais cédé aux tentations du vedettariat.

Merci pour tout, Pat."

Nathalie Vézina, professseure titulaire, Université de Sherbrooke, présidente de l'AQDC (BCL/LLB 1988)
On peut lire la version complète de la lettre ici [.pdf]


"My condolences to Professor H. Patrick Glenn's family, relatives, colleagues, friends and students. I have not had the chance to meet Professor Glenn but I very much enjoyed reading and has learned from his magisterial LEGAL TRADITIONS OF THE WORLD. I have referred to it as one of the reference books in my Jurisprudence classes for several batch of law students as well as in my Lectures at Multimedia University, Malaysia. I have reviewed his book in Journal of South Pacific Law and it is gratifying that the fifth edition of the book was published just before his regrettable demise. Loss of a very good scholar - and from the tributes - apparently an unassuming and warm personality too."
– Dr. Myint Zan, Professor, Faculty of Law, Multimedia University, Malacca, Malaysia


"My sincere condolences on the passing of the eminent Professor H. Patrick Glenn."
FJ Zamora-Cabot, Member Ambassador, AISDC, Lausanne


"I never had the privilege of meeting Professor Glenn, but he has been part of my academic career for years. His Legal Traditions of the World inspired my interest in comparative law, and many years later it was such a thrill for me when he was kind enough to write a lovely quote for the back of my book, which draws on his work a great deal. My sincere condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues!"
Dana Zartner, Assistant Professor, University of San Francisco


"My heartfelt sympathies to Jane and the children on this tragic loss. I remember Patrick as a colleague and member of a search committee with which I had occasion to meet. His wit, good cheer and collegial manner left a long lasting impression. A wonderful academic who made this University a true community of scholars. He will be sorely missed."
– Dr Abraham Fuks, Professor, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University


"De Patrick, il me restera pour toujours le souvenir d'un être lumineux, éclairant sur sa route tous ceux qui le rencontraient... A Jane et à leurs enfants, mes condoléances très émues."
Christiane Serkis, Institut suisse de droit comparé


"I had the unlikely privilege of packing and unpacking Professor Glenn's office this past summer for the Big Move out of OCDH for renovations. His was the sort of library that made me want to sit down and start reading rather than keep packing. It was a little like seeing the chapters of Legal Traditions of the World unfold across the wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling shelves, but there was so much more there as well. I'll admit I wasn't especially surprised to find the library compelling, but I could not have anticipated what a genuine pleasure it also was to interact with Professor Glenn. His kind and humble spirit was immediately obvious, as was his sense of humour. I will never forget sitting in the office of this giant of a scholar undertaking the very mundane task of teaching him "the trick" of how to fold boxes. I was very much looking forward to taking a class with him next semester. My sincere condolences to his family."
Margery Pazdor, BCL/LLB Candidate


"We just learned of Pat's passing. He was a most distinguished legal scholar. Both he and Jane were classmates in Queen's Law. Our sincere sympathy to Jane and their children."
Justice Donald Downie (Ontario Court of Justice) and Gerri Downie


"J’écris ce message, attristé d’apprendre le décès de H. Patrick Glenn. J’ai eu le plaisir et le privilège de l’avoir comme professeur, et j’aimerais, en sa mémoire, expliquer en quoi il a bouleversé ma façon de vivre le droit.

D’abord, j’ai le plus grand respect pour l’œuvre du professeur Glenn. Si la plupart des étudiants de cette faculté n’auront rencontré dans leur parcours que Legal Traditions of the World, j’ai eu la chance de remettre en question ma compréhension des liens entre souveraineté et droit avec Les droits privés, du droit international privé avec « Conciliation of Laws in the NAFTA Countries », ainsi que de l’éthique avec « Professional Traditions : The Reciprocating Ethics of Jurist and Judge ».

Toutefois, ce ne sont pas les écrits du professeur Glenn qui m’ont le plus marqué; c’est sa personne. Myint Zan, dans une recension de Legal Traditions, qualifie le professeur de « mischievous » – et je ne peux qu’agréer! Le professeur Glenn était en effet un académicien profondément séditieux, c’est-à-dire qu’il exerçait un regard si critique sur le droit, que lui-même et tout autre se devaient d’être passés sous la loupe du chercheur. On peut dire, en ce sens, qu’il était le plus intègre des rebelles, le plus incorruptible des révolutionnaires.

C’est avec cette passion, et cette dévotion, que le professeur Glenn ma guidé dans mon parcours juridique. Cet été encore, il m’encourageait à « injecter du doute » dans les structures statiques, mais aussi à « produire du sens » dans ce monde désordonné. Pour toutes ces raisons, et pour ce qu’il m’a apporté en tant que personne, je le remercie et offre mes profondes condoléances à sa famille."
Jonathan Brosseau, candidat au BCL/LLB 2015


"Ann and I send our sincere condolences to Jane and family on the untimely passing of Patrick. We have many fond memories of Pat as a classmate at Queens and know that his humour and academic prowess will be missed by many."
Don Gordon


"'The Federal Court is a federal court in a federal court system.' I still remember those words, his words and the way that he said them in my Judicial Law & Evidence class. Patrick Glenn had a true knack to present ideas and concepts in simple expressions which contained depth and structure. 'Law is organic.' It always seemed to me that he taught ideas rather than material. And the ideas were always BIG, insightful, universal, global and so humorously presented, that you hardly noticed that you were learning. That was his teaching gift. You were intrigued, you learned and retained while being entertained on the big issues. I was also struck by his sense of order and organization and curiosity in all things. I went on to take another course with him (Introduction to Comparative Law) that I also enjoyed for the same reasons. When I returned to the Faculty to teach part time, Patrick Glenn was always very welcoming and encouraging. As others have said, his door was both figuratively and literally always open. It was so effortless and natural for him. Thank you, Professor Glenn."
Jeffrey Edwards, BCL 1986, LLB 1986, Judge of the Court of Quebec


"I am so saddened to hear of Patrick's passing. I didn't take comparative law with him at McGill, a huge regret, but I have been teaching at Osgoode from his book for years and was delighted that he agreed to join my class in 2013. What a huge loss."
Susan Drummond, Professor, Osgoode Hall, York University


"One of a kind; Professor Glenn had both a moral influence and a knowledge influence on every student he taught and every scholar he met.  He offered endless support to all in need. Professor Glenn was a solid rock on which I leaned many times during very critical times. McGill will never be the same after his passing."
Mohammad Nsour, DCL 2009


"A wonderful scholar, and a most distinguished contributor to comparative legal studies. His erudite, robust and provocative vision has helped significantly  to give comparative law a more genuinely global significance.  He will be missed! Sincere condolences to his family."
Michael Palmer, University of London, Shantou University, and the Journal of Comparative Law


"As with so many others I too was saddened on learning of Patrick"s passing. As a law school classmate at Queens with irregular contact at legal and education conferences for lawyers and judges  I will always remember both his smile with a number subtle but friendly meanings behind it to the thought provoking scholarship that extended far beyond the academic. My condolences to another Queens mate Jane and to to their family."
– The Hon. Colin L Campbell, QC, Retired Judge, Superior Court of Justice, Ontario


"À son épouse, ses proches et ses amis, mes condoléances."
Jean Melanson, Professeur de droit à la retraite, Sherbrooke


"It is a sad coincidence that I was very recently talking in a professional context about the course on Legal Traditions taught by Professor Glenn, which I had taken back in 1997. He had opened my occidental eyes to Chthonic Law, Talmudic Law, Islamic Law, etc., which were all legal traditions that challenged ethno-centric legal approaches and thinking. Needless to say that his teaching is all the more relevant and compelling at a time when, for example, genetic resources and traditional knowledge are being actively discussed internationally. Professor Glenn also proved to be an extraordinary philanthropist, humanist, and a maieutic master. He was dedicated to supporting his students, including when they would be going through difficult times. He will always remain dearly in my heart and memories."
Jean-Arpad Français (LLM 2002)


"Érudit, passionnant, ouvert à l'autre, déterminé et arborant son éternel sourire. Mais, au delà de tous les qualificatifs, un gentilhomme dans le sens le plus noble du terme. Merci Patrick de ces nombreux échanges que nous avons eus sur les droits subjectifs et la protection des droits fondamentaux.  Bonne chance pour la suite!"
Patrick A. Molinari, professeur éméritel, Université de Montréal


"I was deeply saddened to read in the Globe and Mail today of Pat’s death. He and I went to West Vancouver High School and UBC together. We were all impressed by his wide knowledge, eagerness to learn, ability to work hard, love of a good time, ability to relate to one and all, great sense of humour, and athletic ability (He was a star on the high school basketball team). Over the years I saw him a few times. As usual, he was interested and concerned about what I was doing. This is a great loss of a long-time friend. My condolences to his family."
Frank Millerd, Professor emeritus, Dept of Economics, Wilfrid Laurier University


"It is with great sadness that I learned of Professor Glenn's passing, which constitutes a tremendous loss to to the McGill community as a whole. My sincere condolences to his friends, family, colleagues and former students."
Lawrence David, BCL/LLB 2013


"I was saddened to learn of Patrick's death, in part because all my memories of him are of a vigorous and insightful colleague, always ready to give valuable advice and encouragement, never too busy to care. Jane and I work together as volunteers in the McGill Book Fair and through her I learned of Patrick's continuing successes and contributions to international law and their travels in recent years. My deepest sympathies are with her and their children."
Frances Groen, Tremholme Director of Libraries Emeritus, McGill University


"Un grand professeur. Un grand pédagogue. Un grand juriste. Un homme cultivé qui nous donnait le goût d'apprendre. Merci pour tout."
Dominic Belley (BCL, LLB, 2000)


"Apart from the legal world having lost a great teacher, I have lost one of the most influential people in my life. I took a class back in 1997 with him called "legal Traditions" and coming from Iran, I was not taught how to think and analyze things carefully. One day in his class, he asked a question, and I answered by saying "from what I read in that article, it seems...." he stopped me half way and said "I do not care what is written in books and articles. What I care about is what you think. Now start again, what do YOU think?". And then and there, things changed for me as a researcher and a scholar and later a PhD student. He was there for me all those years, with his naughty smile and positive attitude. Rest in peace Prof Glenn."
Sanam Haghighi, PhD European University Institute, LLM 1999 McGill


"Alas! I was not his student. However, I still owe special gratitude to him as his excellent book taught me how much multivalent approach is necessary for today’s comparative law. My sincere condolence to his family and faculty."
Hasna Haj Najafi (LLM 2011)


"I took Legal Traditions with Prof. Glenn in my first year of graduate studies. I still remember his warm heart and most encouraging words in that cold winter. Rest in peace."
Chunbao Liu (DCL candidate, McGill)


"I was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of a former colleague (1980 - 1990, 1995/1996) and friend. A wonderful comparative lawyer whose work Legal Traditions of the World I very much value. Condolences to Jane and family."
Ralph Simmonds, Justice, Supreme Court of Western Australia


"Patrick was to speak at a conference of the International Association of Legal Science in Torino Italy last September. He announced that he was unable to come for medical reasons. We all thought we were going to meet him soon after the cure, knowing how active and dedicated he was. We now miss an exceptional scholar, teacher, and friend, who was admired all over the world for his extraordinary contribution to  the subject of comparative law, as well as for his research on  a wide variety of legal subjects. My condolences to his wife Jane and his family."
Michele Graziadei, Università di Torino – Società italiana per la ricerca nel diritto comparato


"A remarkable comparative scholar from whom I was fortunate to learn. A truly superb teacher. Mes sincères condoléances."
Karen Eltis, Professeure agrégée, uOttawa (BCL/LLB 2000)


“Mon cher Patrick,

Ainsi donc, la vie a décidé que tu devais nous quitter dès maintenant. Sais-tu à quel point tu vas nous manquer ?

Ton départ nous laisse orphelins. Il manquera toujours un morceau unique à notre grande famille.

Car tu as été un collègue merveilleux. La porte de ton bureau restait ouverte, une invitation. Tu étais toujours prêt à nous accueillir gentiment. Tu restais à l’écoute de tous ceux parmi nous qui souhaitaient avoir ton conseil. Combien d’avis judicieux et de précieuses informations tu m’as fournis.

Ton rayonnement international n’a en rien affecté ta grande simplicité avec les collègues. Ni ta modestie. Un modèle pour nous tous. Car tu as été un Sage. Ce n’est pas par hasard qu’au congrès de l’Académie internationale de droit comparé, l’été dernier à Vienne, tu avais été chargé de recruter ceux qui vont diriger cette grande institution. De même, l’American Society of Comparative Law était venue te chercher, toi un Canadien, pour la présider.

Malgré ta discipline de fer, tu as conservé le sens du plaisir dans la vie collégiale, ton sourire coquin. Je me rappelle encore les années 1970-1980, quand nous étions voisins au 2e étage du Chancellor Day, on entendait résonner ton rire débordant de bonne humeur.

De tout cœur, merci !"
–  Pierre-Gabriel Jobin, Professeur émérite, Faculté de droit, Université McGill


“This is a tremendous loss. I was incredibly fortunate to take Professor Glenn's comparative law seminar at McGill, which had a lasting impact on my legal research. Professor Glenn was also my LLM examiner at McGill's Institute of Comparative Law. And I was privileged to introduce Professor Glenn as the guest lecturer last year at the Cambridge Journal of International and Comparative Law conference. He will be missed by many in the academic community and beyond.”
Lorne Neudorf (LLM 2009, Assistant Professor of Law, Thompson Rivers University)


”Patrick Glenn was one of the greatest comparative lawyers of our time and an extremely kind person. My sincere condolences to his wife and family and to the McGill Faculty of Law.”
– Professor Jan Smits (Chair of European Private Law, Maastricht University)


“As soon as I read Patrick's book on comparative law I knew it would be the one I would use when teaching comparative law. I learned immensely from it and incorporated it into my writings on comparative criminal procedure. I also got to know Patrick at the meetings of the American Society of Comparative Law and he was a truly appreciative, friendly and delightful person to chat with, with none of the superbia that sometimes haunts North American professors. I will surely miss him.”
– Professor Steve Thaman (Saint Louis University School of Law)


“Patrick was my teacher, my colleague and my friend. I will miss him.”
Cally Jordan (LLB 1977, BCL 1980)


“Je suis complètement bouleversé par le décès subit de mon ami Patrick. Patrick a été une source d'inspiration pour toute la communauté juridique et ses écrits resteront des modèles en droit comparé. Je veux  m'associer à tous ses collègues et amis pour présenter à Jane et aux enfants mes sincères condoléances.”
Jean Louis Baudouin (Fasken)


“Alas, too early, Patrick. At our "stammtisch" I admired your wisdom and humility - for me you were not a "person" but  a "PERSONALITY". Deep condolences to family and faculty!”
Michael Milde (Former Professor, Institute for Air and Space Law, McGill)


“My very sincere condolences, as well as Françoise's, to Jane. Patrick was a real friend. We shall never forget his extraordinary intelligence, the elegance of his style and his subtle sense of humour.”
Meir Leker (Association Internationale des Sciences Juridiques)


“It is an inestimable loss to the comparative law community in intellectual and personal terms, as he was one of its most beloved members,  as well as one of its most respected ones.  It seems just days ago that he was emailing me in his usual, cheery style. I was so happy to have him as the President of the American Society of Comparative Law – someone throughly immersed in both French and English and the corresponding legal cultures of the common and civil law.

He and I were supposed to speak together this coming April in Paris. As Bénédicte Fauvarque-Cosson wrote me of him, 'He still had so much left to teach us.'"
– Professor Vivian Grosswald Curran (University of Pittsburgh School of Law)


“I will keep very fond memories of Patrick, whom I was fortunate to have as thesis director. One of them is his kindness when I was a few days late in submitting a chapter because my amazon parrot was ill. His reply was: the parrot comes first, the chapter can wait! He will remain a constant source of inspiration for my work and I am sure, for younger generations of legal scholars. He taught me to leave no stone unturned, and for this, and many other invaluable advice he gave me over time, I remain in his debt. Sa disparition constitue une lourde perte pour toute la communauté juridique, d'ici et d'ailleurs. Personne ne peut le remplacer, mais on peut tenter, modestement, de faire vivre son riche héritage qu'il nous appartient de faire fructifier.

In the meantime, my heartfelt condolences to his family.”
Helene Piquet Canada Research Chair in Chinese Law and Globalization, UQAM,   Departement des Sciences Juridiques, Faculté de Science Politique et Droit.


“I first met Patrick and Jane when we all lived in the (then McGill-owned) Marlborough Apartments on Milton Street and, of course, continued to interact with both of them on campus until I early-retired in 2002. Patrick will be much missed and my condolences go to Jane and the family.”
David Crawford


“Your bright thought and your characteristic smile will be forever with all who had the pleasure to meet you. I read your Hague General Course last summer and I could find both in every single page. Your ideas about the conciliation (instead of conflict) of laws show your very personality, which everybody loves. I will miss you. Rest in peace, dear friend.”
Diego P. Fernández Arroyo, Secretary-General of the International Academy of Comparative Law


“Patrick’s passing is a terrible loss in so many ways for so many people and institutions and projects. For me it is a terrible personal loss. As many have noted, he was an extraordinary scholar, but he was so much more than that. He had a remarkable combination of wisdom, reliability, creativity, kindness and generosity that was truly unique. He was a treasure. Over many years of talking with Patrick and over the last few years of working with him closely at the American Society of Comparative Law, my admiration and affection for him grew steadily. Each new context brought new revelations of his breadth of intellect or his wisdom or his generosity or his insights or his wonderful and subtle sense of fun. My heart goes out to his family as well as his friends and colleagues.”
David Gerber, Vice-President, American Society of Comparative Law


“Patrick has for over half a century been making better lawyers, and making students' lives happier and more engaged. I have also had the honour and pleasure of working with him in files in which he was a most able expert. It has been a half-century of contribution and of leaving his quiet mark, with smiles all around him. Admiring and thankful condolences.”
Simon Potter (BCL 1974)


“I am so sorry to hear this news. Patrick showed great kindness to me when I was still a student back in Australia. I asked him to contribute to an unknown student publication, and he agreed, and we met up at a subsequent IVR congress. Later, when doing my PhD I visited him for 2 months in McGill - he was generous with his time, and I remember many fun conversations. I saw him most recently at the 'Authority in a Transnational Age' conference in London in November 2013 - he presented a great paper and we spoke about his most recent book, The Cosmopolitan State, which I had read and enjoyed. We talked about getting together again to talk about cosmopolitan legal reasoning. I am so sad to lose him.”
Maks Del Mar (Queen Mary University of London)


“Patrick was wise, witty, funny, inspiring, and incredibly innovative in his thinking. We had the great honor of having him as a fellow at our Institute (HiiL) in The Hague. He contributed significantly to our Law of the Future Project, and our project on the Changing Role of Highest Courts. From all of HiiL, deepest condolences to the Glenn family. Patrick was amazing and enriched us all.”
Sam Muller (Director, HiiL)


“I had the great fortune of being a student in Professor Glenn’s Judicial Institutions and Civil Procedure course in the Winter 2013 semester, and the privilege of serving as his research assistant this past summer. We were communicating by email up until just two weeks ago about the final draft of a paper he had been working on over the last several months. Professor Glenn’s passing came as a great shock to me and has been deeply saddening.

I have benefited greatly from Professor Glenn’s scholarship, guidance, and kind, easy-going character. He provided me with frequent encouragement throughout the summer and made me feel as though he truly valued any modest insights I had with respect to his project. Moreover, his cheerful, gentle sense of humour made my experience as a research assistant a distinct pleasure. I wish to express my most sincere condolences to his family.”
Tyler Goettl (BCL/LLB Candidate, 2014)


“My only connection with Professor Glenn is that of an author and reader. I read your work with such astonishment and appreciation. My deepest condolence to family, friends and colleagues at McGill. It was a pleasure knowing and conversing with you, Professor, as a reader.”
Rokeya Chowdhury (LLM 2013)


“I will always cherish my memories of toiling away as a Research Assistant in Professor Glenn's OCDH office from a bygone era, sifting through piles of articles collected over the years and scraps of paper on which he had jotted down little pearls of wisdom. It was a humbling task to try to connect the dots of his genius to compile some useful materials from the morass for his masterwork, Legal Traditions of the World. He was a kind and visionary man with an infectious optimism. And of course, he loved his dogs. I feel lucky to have known him.”
Cassandra Porter (BCL/LLB 2012)


"What an extraordinary person and teacher the world has lost. Patrick was learned and wise beyond comparison but also generous and kind and had a truly infectious sense of fun. Who else could teach civil procedure and impart the deep ethical structure of the lawyer-client relationship? Heartfelt condolences to the Glenn family and the Faculty."
Mahmud Jamal (BCL/LLB 1993)


"I had the honour of being one of Prof. Glenn's students. Indeed he was an extraordinary scholar, one who influenced comparative law scholarship internationally and left a clear foot print in this complex field of law. My sincere condolences go to Prof. Glenn's family and to the faculty and students of McGill law school for this devastating loss. May he rest in peace."
Hisham Ababneh (LLM 2012)


"Patrick has provided us with an extraordinary gift: the model of a wise scholar and colleague. The solidity and gentle weight of his insights and pronouncements has been occupying my mind ever since the terrible news. How fortunate we are to have learned from his ideas and in myriad ways been guided by them. Patrick has given comparative law a depth and breadth and significance it simply had not had before him. How astonishing — I dare say beautiful — that he got us all to contemplate the ways in which we are formed by all legal traditions in their grand dialogue through history. It was Patrick, many many years ago, teaching me Foundations of Canadian Law, who first made me realize that legal inquiry was not about gathering arcane rules but that it could be oriented according to its own abiding questions. Patrick’s legacy is in all of us, but that makes it no easier to accept his absence."
– Professor Richard Janda (McGill University; BCL/LLB 1985)


"I am still shocked by the news. Patrick was so lively when I saw him at the Vienna World Congress for Comparative Law in the summer, and we have been in email contact after it. He was such a fabulous scholar, in both my areas (comparative law, private international law) as well as in others. But also, he was just such a fabulous human being. I will miss him a lot."
– Professor Ralf Michaels (Duke University)


"He was truly a remarkable man: great scholar and a warm person. Genuinely rare combination. I am saddened by his passing - he was a true inspiration for all comparatists."
– Professor Jaakko Husa (University of Lapland)


"It is with incredible sorrow that I heard this morning that Patrick Glenn passed away. I vividly remember him. This summer he attended the 19th World Conference of Comparative Law in Vienna. He chaired the commission which proposed the members of the Executive Committee of the International Academy of Comparative Law which were newly to be elected.

We have lost a wonderful person, one of the most experienced comparatists. My students in Utrecht were deeply impressed when he some years ago gave a guest lecture in my comparative methodology course. Discussions with him were highly illuminating and challenging.

Patrick’s early passing away is a great loss. His unique book on Legal Traditions of the World will also be used in the future all around the world. I would like to express my deepest condolences to Patrick's family and the Faculty of law of McGill University."
Katharina Boele-Woelki (President of the International Academy of Comparative Law, The Netherlands)


"To think about the thousands of lawyers and legal scholars that Professor Glenn influenced. It was a life well lived."
Jeff Feiner (BCL/LLB 2004)


"Professor Glenn supervised an independent study paper while I was in law school. He was always generous with his time and feedback and very approachable and open to exploring new ideas. My condolences to his family and friends."
Julia Gray (BCL/LLB 2004)


"I spent the summer of 2002 as one of Prof. Glenn's research students. The subject was fascinating but even better was the enthusiasm Prof. Glenn shared with me. He was kind enough to take the time to offer advice about my future legal career and to share insights about the legal profession. Not only was Prof. Glenn an outstanding scholar, but he was a remarkably warm and generous man who will be greatly missed. My condolences to his family."
JoAnne Lagendyk (BCL/LLB 2004)


"Patrick was my supervisor for my LLM thesis at McGill, and my co-supervisor with Stephen Scott when I continued on with my DCL. My time at McGill was a transformative one in my intellectual life and Patrick was a large part of that. He was a kind, supportive man who helped to open up a new world of ideas to someone from the back-of-beyond. What academic success I have since had is due in large part to him.

At my current university in Copenhagen, I teach a course on Legal Traditions based upon his book. Our next class on Tuesday will bring with it good memories and sombre thoughts as we discuss his ideas. They, of course, live on. Thank you Patrick and sleep well."
– Professor C. David Jenkins (University of Copenhagen; LLM 2002, DCL 2007)


"My condolences to the Faculty, to Professor Jane Glenn and their family. A great loss and he will be missed."
David Colford (LLB 1978, BCL 1979)


"All my thoughts to HP Glenn and his family. It is when I was studying his textbook that I opened up to comparative legal research, and I thank him for that."
Mathilde Groppo (LLM '11)

Back to top