Vince
Calderhead

Vince brings a wealth of experience to his work on systemic litigation that explores opportunities for law reform for people living in poverty. With a career spanning decades, Vince is committed to cases which seek to better protect the rights of the underprivileged. At Pink Larkin, he dedicates his efforts on a pro bono basis, taking on suitable test cases involving systemic social assistance and housing issues.

Before joining Pink Larkin, Vince spent 31 years with Nova Scotia Legal Aid, where he focused on income support and housing matters. His extensive practice covered a broad spectrum of poverty-related issues, ranging from criminal law, fine default, and cohabitation as fraud to refugee issues, social assistance, employment insurance, Canada Pension matters, and residential tenancy disputes.

Vince is nationally and internationally recognized in the realm of social and economic rights. His advocacy work has ranged from everyday representation of social assistance recipients and appearances before appeal boards to appearances before the Supreme Court of Canada. Vince has been involved in numerous cases before the Nova Scotia Supreme Court and Court of Appeal, consistently representing individuals living in poverty.

Since 1995, Vince has frequently appeared before the United Nations Human Rights treaty bodies in New York and Geneva, advocating for enhanced protection of social and economic rights in Canada. In recognition of his exceptional contributions, the Canadian Bar Association honoured him with the John Tait Award of Excellence in 2008. This prestigious award is bestowed upon public sector lawyers for having made significant contributions to social justice or community affairs.

For over 25 years, Vince was been an influential educator, teaching "Poverty Law and Human Rights" at Dalhousie’s Schulich School of Law. His dedication to imparting knowledge has played a crucial role in shaping the understanding of the next generation regarding the implications of poverty law and human rights.

Please Note: Pink Larkin sees Vince's work as an opportunity to make a crucial contribution to the advancement of the rights of the poor. Pro bono cases must meet a specific profile for eligibility.