1 "Ask him, Ask him, you have nothing to lose!"

I landed up interviewing the Justices of the Supreme Court on a spur- of-the-moment

impulse

There I was, in the office of the Assistant to the Chief Justice, having traced him as a potential interviewee for a landmark case for my column in the Globe and Mail.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, I was hit by a voice. "Ask him. Ask him. You have nothing to lose."

Throwing all caution to the wind, I blurted out. "Could I interview the Chief Justice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

The assistant didn't blink an eyelash. "I'll convey your request to him."

The next day, back in Montreal, I received a call from the Assistant.

"The Chief Justice reads your column in the Report on Business. You enjoy a reputation of being hard hitting and fair. He agrees to be interviewed and would appreciate if you would send him the questions you intend to ask."

I scrambled like crazy. What did I know about constitutional law? NOTHING!

Frantically I called the Canadian expert in this area whom I had interviewed

for another article. He sent me questions.

The Chief Justice was suitably impressed.

Like in a shopping mall, the Chief Justice was now my anchor tenant.

The rest was easy.

I immediately contacted the other 8 Justices, and with the exception of the Court's star, Bertha Wilson, all agreed to an interview.

The date was set.

CHIEF JUSTICE DICKSON

Chief Justice Dickson took my breath away.

Imagine, the Chief Justice getting up behind his desk to greet me!.

And then the interview started and that's when I had to hang on for dear life.

The floor below me opened up ready to suck me down into a big black dungeon.

The Chief Justice rejected every one of the questions I had sent him.!!!!!!!!!!!

Terror swept over me.

And then out of the blue a voice took pity on me and whispered in my ear.

"Remember the book that came out just three days before the interviews, 'Judging Around the World'? Ask him about his meetings with Chief Justices around the world."

Suddenly the Chief Justice was in his element. Having fun like a teenager. Because when the Chief Justices met from around the world, they traded cases, like little boys trading hockey pictures.

" Herr Dickson, I understand that recently in Canada you heard a case on a rocket

(or something like that!). I understand your Court just recently ruled on one.

I would be greatly indebted to you if you sent me a copy of the judgment!"

The Assistant later told me that I had had the longest interview the Chief Justice had ever given. Usually they lasted twenty minutes. Mine lasted one hour and ten minutes!!!!!!!!!

_______________________

I had almost had a nervous breakdown.

I didn't know anything about constitutional law.

In fact, I barely knew anything about law!

I didn't realize it at the time, but that was my great advantage.

All I could ask the Justices of the Supreme Court of Canda

was how they felt about being Justices.

And that is what they were dying to talk about.

What made them real live human beings inside their fur lined red gowns -

sitting in a massive room behind a podium underneath a towering gilt ceiling.

And that is what Canadians wanted to read.

The interviews appeared in most of the Op-Ed pages in papers across the country!