Joseph Maingot, 92, died of complications following surgery after a fall in his Ottawa home. He served as Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel of Canada's House of Commons and Member of the Law Reform Com-mission of Canada. He was author of the standard classic reference Parliamentary Privilege in Canada, (2ed 1997), also in use at Westminster, Parliamentary Immunity in Canada (2016) and, with the late David Dehler, of Politicians Above the Law, A case for the abolition of parliamentary inviol-ability (2010). He continued to col-laborate on the second edition (English and French, 2022) Politicians Above the Law and the Rule of Law, with his editors in France until days before his death.
Through the International Parliament-arians' Union in Geneva, he advised on parliamentary matters in Yemen, Kyr-gyzstan and East Timor, also serving as an election observer during Ukraine's 'Orange Revolution'. As a young man, he volunteered as a labourer-teacher with the Frontier College. In 1956-57, working to pay for law school, he served as the first postmaster in Iqaluit (then Frobisher Bay).
Joseph was born to Albert Joseph Maingot and Dorothy Glynn Gallagher in Ottawa. He leaves his devoted wife of 25 years, Simone Hickey, his sons Patrick, Peter (Anita Lamimam), his daughter Albani (Abraham Roussel) and his beloved granddaughter, Isabelle Mallory-Maingot (Alex Antoine Boisvert). He was predeceased by his son Michael Joseph Maingot (1961-1962), his sisters Margaret (James McCormick), Elisabeth "Babette" (Sam-uel J. Brunette), Dorothy (Edwin Swim-mings) Barbara (Leo Brierley), his brother Philip, and the mother of his daughter Albani, Francine Normandin.
He is survived by his siblings Paul (Jana Elederova), John (Kathleen McLaugh-lin), Mary (Bill Boyd) his goddaughter Catherine Swimmings, his great-niece Samantha and her mother Jinwha Hong, many nieces, nephews and cousins, and his sons' mother, Barbara Ann MacMahon Firestone.
He also leaves his Couture stepchildren Pauline (Ian Morrison), Guy (Betty Van Huizen), Hélène (Malcolm MacTavish), Rose-Marie (Philip Holmes), Jacqueline (Dan Rogers), Monique (Ted Carmi-chael) and their descendants.
An energetic and talented athlete, Joseph played football at Ottawa U as an undergrad. He achieved Hall of Fame status in (80+) hockey in 2011, playing and skiing into his late 80s, cycling until he was 91. He loved nature, music and culture, attending the open-ing gala of the National Arts Centre in 1969 and supporting it ever after, attending concerts and artistic events whenever he could.
Proud of his family's roots in France and Trinidad, he walked long distances well into his 80s, including the Camino de Santiago in 2000, across northern France in 2006 and from Canterbury to Vimy Ridge to pay homage to his father's service in that battle on its 90th anniversary in 2007.
The family thanks the compassionate staff at the Civic Hospital and Joseph's incredible family physician, Dr. Nili Kaplan-Myth, who saw him monthly.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in Joseph's name to St. Joseph's Supper Table, Development and Peace, or CNIB. Visitation November 17 from 1:00 pm preceding funeral mass at 2:00 PM, reception to follow: St. Joseph, 174 Wilbrod St., Ottawa, ON K1N 6N8.
Arrangements entrusted to the Whelan Funeral Home tel. (613) 233-1488
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