[1] He was the grandson of Adéla Tanguay (1884-1954) and Johan Beetz (1874–1949), a Belgium aristocrat, physician, surgeon, naturalist, illustrator and businessmen.

On his return to Canada in 1953, he became an assistant professor teaching Canadian constitutional law at the Université de Montréal.

More than anyone else on the Court at the time, he supported the provinces in the division of powers, taking the traditional Quebec interpretation for a decentralised federation.

James MacPherson, former Dean of Osgoode Hall Law School, has summarised the Beetz-Laskin debates: "The result was that constitutional lawyers, academics, and students were regularly treated to two scholarly, beautifully reasoned, and eloquent — but in the end — opposing judgments.

The case concerned a federal statute which implemented wage and price controls during a time of high inflation.

Beetz wrote a lengthy decision outlining the doctrinal basis for the emergency branch, and concluded that the Act did not meet the necessary strict test for federal legislation under this power.

James MacPherson has stated that Beetz's opinion is "... the single best written judgment in a distribution of powers case in the history of Canadian constitutional law.

[3] In 1989 he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada, for his contribution to Canadian federalism, administrative, public, and civil law.