Cuming appointed to the Order of Canada
Cuming "transformed secured transactions law in Canada and abroad" states his Order of Canada citation.
University of Saskatchewan College of Law Professor Emeritus Ronald C.C. Cuming, OC, has been appointed an officer of the Order of Canada.
The citation states: “Commercial law scholar Ronald Cuming transformed secured transactions law in Canada and abroad. Principal architect of Saskatchewan’s Personal Property Security Act, he guided its nationwide adoption and advised global agencies on modern lending systems. Author of influential texts, he shaped the Cape Town Convention and jurisprudence cited at the highest courts.”
The announcement was made Friday by Her Excellency the Right Honourable Louise Arbour, Governor General of Canada.
Cuming joined the faculty at the College of Law in 1966. The following is an excerpt from a profile written in 2019.
During his tenure on campus, Cuming taught thousands of students and introduced more than a handful of new courses at the college, ranging from bankruptcy law to personal property security law. Outside the classroom, his contributions to the law have been felt across the globe in countries including Albania, Armenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Egypt, Georgia, Ghana, India, Iraq, Mexico, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
“I always say a professor has three responsibilities: to teach, to research and to reform the law,” he said.
And reform the law he has. Cuming was a principal draftsperson of the Saskatchewan Personal Property Security Act, he co-authored the Enforcement of Money Judgements Act, and was a technical advisor to the Canadian Department of Transport in the preparation of the Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment. Cuming has acted as technical advisor to the World Bank, the Organization of American States, the Asian Development Bank and other international agencies in the area of commercial law reform of developing countries, and in 2006 he was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Canadian Bar Association.
The Order of Canada is the cornerstone of the Canadian Honours System. Since its creation in 1967, nearly 8,800 people from all sectors of society have been appointed to or promoted within to the Order. The contributions of these trailblazers are varied, yet they have all enriched the lives of others and made a difference to this country.
“The Order of Canada recognizes those whose contributions help us see our country and our place in the world with greater clarity and purpose. These appointees, from diverse backgrounds and fields, reflect the talent and determination that shape Canada’s future," stated Governor General Arbour.
"At a time of profound global change, their achievements highlight the strength of Canadians and the values we represent to the world. Together, they remind us that building our country’s future is a shared effort that requires ambition and long-term commitment."