Honorary degree recipients

Maureen Maloney is a distinguished lawyer, academic and public policy practitioner. A King’s Counsel and member of the Order of British Columbia, she has been a role model for women in education, law and public service.

In 1990, Maloney became the first woman law dean in BC. At the University of Victoria, she introduced equity-based admissions processes and helped establish Canada’s first environmental law chair.

She was appointed deputy minister to BC’s attorney general in 1993, becoming the province’s first woman deputy attorney general in 1997. In these roles, she advanced restorative justice programs, increased support for survivors of domestic violence and expanded victims’ rights.

Maloney served as Lam Chair in Law and Public Policy and Director of the Institute for Dispute Resolution at UVic from 2000 to 2010 and taught at Simon Fraser University’s School of Public Policy from 2010 to 2023. During this time, she led domestic and global initiatives to advance human rights, resolve conflicts and drive justice reform, including projects in the Middle East, Southeast Asia and China.

In 2018, she chaired BC’s expert panel on money laundering, whose report gained global recognition and influenced policy reforms.

Maloney leaves a legacy of a more inclusive, equitable and progressive Canada.

Robert Amos is an award-winning artist and author who has spent more than 50 years showcasing the art and culture of Victoria and Vancouver Island.

Elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts in 1996, he chronicled the region through his art books Inside Chinatown and Hometown: Out and About in Victoria’s Neighbourhoods. His long-running column in the Times Colonist, titled “On Art,” highlighted the city’s vibrant arts community, profiling local artists and gallery figures.

Amos played a key role in raising the profile of BC artists, writing the first catalogue for Mary Riter Hamilton for the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria and serving as the official biographer of painter E.J. Hughes, producing a celebrated multi-volume biography.

He also contributed significantly to the University of Victoria, donating his writings to the UVic Libraries and supporting the acquisition of key cultural archives, including abstract artist and mosaicist Margaret Peterson.

Beyond his writing and painting, Amos connected with the Victoria community through considerable volunteer outreach. He curated the annual Red Cross Art Show for many years and taught art to seniors and children.

His legacy can be felt across the city of Victoria, with works held by the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, the University of Victoria and in numerous private collections.