Canadian civil rights lawyer and activist Clayton Ruby has died

Prominent Canadian civil rights lawyer and activist Clayton Ruby has died, CTV News has confirmed.

Ruby, who in 2006 was made a member of the Order of Canada, died on Tuesday. The Toronto native was 80.

Ruby, who retired about a year and a half ago, was a partner at Ruby Shiller Enenajor DuGiuseppe, a Toronto-based law firm that specializes in criminal, civil, regulatory, and constitutional litigation.

The firm shared the news of his passing in a tweet posted early Wednesday afternoon.

Calling Ruby a “leader and mentor,” they said he was a “dedicated advocate for human rights, a champion of the underdog and a loving friend.”

Long-time friend and law firm partner Brian Shiller said the best way to describe Ruby, whom he noted was the longest-sitting bencher at the Law Society of Upper Canada, is to call him “giant” in the legal field.

“Clay was at the highest level of the profession for more than 50 years,” he told CP24 Wednesday afternoon.

Shiller said Ruby, who loved a lively debate, was an “outspoken critic of every government,” someone who was at the forefront of many social justice issues long before others came around to advocating for them. He pointed to Ruby’s long-standing work to abolish the seal hunt and to ensure women have the right to a safe abortion as just a few of the many examples of the legacy he leaves behind.

“The outpouring of support from people today is really something. I think everybody feels this incredible sadness at losing a man who was a pillar of the legal community, but he was also a friend and colleague to so many," Shiller said.

"He is going to be sadly missed by two daughters with his two grandchildren, his spouse, and all of us out there who learned so much and were inspired by him for so long."

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During his long legal career Ruby represented numerous high-profile clients notably Guy Paul Morin, who was wrongly convicted - then exonorated - in the October 1984 rape and murder of eight-year-old Christine Jessop.

Back in 2012, Ruby served as the legal counsel for private citizen Paul Magder in a conflict-of-interest case against former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, who was briefly ordered to be removed from office. In the end, Ford launched an appeal and won. He was, however, ordered to pay back the roughly $3,000 in donations he’d solicited from lobbyists for his personal football foundation when he was a city councillor.

Another one of Ruby's most notable clients is former NDP MP Svend Robinson, who in February 1994 attended the unlawful medically-assisted death of right-to-die advocate Sue Rodriguez. In the end, Robinson was not charged.

In a tweet, Robinson called his “dear friend” a “giant in the legal profession, pillar of the progressive community, and a fine and decent man, a mensch.”

Ruby was also instrumental in fighting for the right of LGBTQ people in Canada. He successfully took on the federal government when he defended Michelle Douglas, who in 1989 was dismissed from the Canadian Forces for her sexual orientation. Douglas launched a lawsuit, which resulted in the end of the military’s discriminatory policy against gays and lesbians.

A specialist in criminal, constitutional, administrative and civil right law, he authored of several legal textbooks.

Ruby leaves behind his wife Harriet Sachs, a Superior Court of Ontario judge, as well as their children Emma and Kate.