Manuel Shacter

SHACTER, Manuel, Q.C.

Peacefully, on Tuesday, February 4, 2025. Beloved husband of Ruth. Treasured father and father-in-law of Caryn Shacter, Claudia and the late Glenn Shacter - de Chabert, Janet Shacter and the late Tim Mogg; and deeply missed by Ruth’s children and their spouses, Steven and Kelly Zelikovitz, Susan Zelikovitz and Doug Knox, Elaine and Ricky Stein. Proud Zaidy of Ariel, Justin, Jenna (Tal), and Matthew (Micaela).

Having practiced law for more than seventy-five years, Manny had an exemplary career. Amid World War II, he completed a Bachelor of Arts (Economics and Political Science) at McGill University before getting his law degree and became a member of the Quebec Bar in 1947. He worked for two years in Ottawa for the Canadian Department of Justice and subsequently founded with his colleagues the firm, Mendelsohn Rosentzveig Shacter, which subsequently became McMillan LLP and now has nearly 300 lawyers.

A former Dean of the Faculty of Law at McGill, the Honourable Nicholas Kasirer called him an "unsung hero of Canadian Law." During his exceptional career, Manny went to the Supreme Court of Canada several times and is best known for successfully defending the novel "Lady Chatterley’s Lover", which had been banned for obscenity. In addition to having acted in several cases concerning rights and freedoms protected by the charters, he also developed a practice in tax and corporate law.

He advocated for fair representation of Jewish lawyers and was one of the founders of the Lord Reading Law Association, where he served as its president in 1968-1969. He was appointed Batonnier of Montreal in 1987-1988 and was always a champion for better representation of the Montreal bar within Quebec. He was a fierce advocate for human rights and protecting language freedom.

Actively involved in his community, Manny volunteered his time for the YM-YWHA of Montreal, Jewish Vocational Services, the Canadian Council of Christians and Jews and the Canadian Jewish Congress. His philanthropic contributions were numerous, and he was a supporter of the arts. Manny was passionate about sports, from his university days at McGill, where he played basketball and football, to his love of golf and annual ski trips to Austria, which he enjoyed for more than fifty-five years.

Funeral service from Paperman & Sons, 3888 Jean Talon St. W., on Thursday, February 6 at 1:00 p.m. Burial at Congregation Shaar Hashomayim Cemetery, 1250 ch. de la Forêt, Outremont. Shiva at his home. Donations in his memory may be made to the charity of your choice.