Donald J. Johnston made Officer of the Order of Canada

On July 1, 2008, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, announced the appointment of the Honourable Donald J. Johnston, PC, OC, as Officer of the Order of Canada, for his contributions to public service in Canada and as secretary general of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

In 1996, Donald J. Johston became the first non-European to occupy the prestigious position of Secretary-General of the OECD, where he served for two mandates and where he introduced many important initiatives that continue to benefit the international community. In recognition of this accomplishment, Japan awarded him the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun in 2006, the second most prestigious Japanese decoration and the highest one that can be bestowed on a non-Japanese.

Mr. Johnston has a strong connection to McGill, where he received both a Bachelor of Law and a Bachelor of Arts (BCL'58, BA'60). A Gold Medallist when he graduated from Law, he returned to the Faculty as a lecturer in fiscal law from 1964 to 1977. In 1973, he was a founding partner of Johnston Heenan Blaikie (now Heenan Blaikie) before entering federal politics in 1978. In 2003, McGill awarded him a doctorate of law honoris causa.

The Faculty of Law offers its heartfelt congratulations to Mr. Johnston.