Judges | The Canadian Encyclopedia

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Displaying 46-57 of 57 results

  • Article

    Mary John Batten

    Mary John Batten (née Fodchuk), lawyer, politician, justice and chief justice of the Saskatchewan Court of Queen’s Bench (born 30 August 1921 in Sifton, MB; died 9 October 2015). Mary John Batten was the first Ukrainian Canadian woman elected to a Canadian legislature. She served as an MLA in Saskatchewan from 1956 until 1964. That year, she became the first woman to be appointed as a federal judge in Saskatchewan, and only the second in Canada. In 1983, she became Saskatchewan’s first female chief justice. She also chaired a Saskatchewan royal commission. She retired from the bench in 1989.

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    https://d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net/DCI-images/Mary-John-Batten-final.jpg Mary John Batten

  • Article

    Michelle O’Bonsawin

    Michelle O’Bonsawin, justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, lawyer, law professor (born in 1974 in Hanmer, Ontario). Michelle O’Bonsawin was appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada on 1 September 2022, making her the first Indigenous justice to serve on the Court. An Abenaki member of the Odanak First Nation, O’Bonsawin is also Franco-Ontarian. She is known for her expertise on matters relating to Indigenous law and legal issues — in particular the Gladue principles — as well as labour, mental health and privacy issues.

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    https://d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net/michelle-obonsawin-rr-hr.jpg Michelle O’Bonsawin

  • Article

    Murray Sinclair

    Murray Sinclair or Mizanay (Mizhana) Gheezhik, meaning “The One Who Speaks of Pictures in the Sky” in the Ojibwe language, lawyer, judge and senator (born in 1951 in Selkirk, MB). Called to the Manitoba Bar in 1980, Sinclair focused primarily on civil and criminal litigation, Indigenous law and human rights. In 1988, he became Manitoba’s first, and Canada’s second, Indigenous judge. Sinclair joined the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 2009, before becoming a senator in 2016. He retired from the Senate in 2021 but continues to mentor Indigenous lawyers. The breadth of public service and community work completed by Sinclair demonstrates his commitment to Indigenous peoples in Canada.

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    https://d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net/murray_sinclair_crop.jpg Murray Sinclair

  • Article

    Nicholas Kasirer

    Nicholas Kasirer, FRSC, lawyer, professor, author, justice of the Court of Appeal of Quebec, justice of the Supreme Court of Canada (born 2 February 1960, in Montreal, QC). Nicholas Kasirer is a bilingual former law professor who is well-versed in both civil law and common law. He has been one of three Quebec justices on the Supreme Court of Canada since 16 September 2019. Kasirer previously served on the Court of Appeal of Quebec. He has been published widely on many aspects of the law. He was also dean of McGill University’s Faculty of Law from 2003 to 2009.

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    https://d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net/nicholas-kasirer-rr-hr.jpg Nicholas Kasirer

  • Article

    Palbinder Kaur Shergill

    Palbinder Kaur Shergill, QC, judge of the Supreme Court of British Columbia in New Westminster (born in Rurka Kalan, Punjab, India). Shergill spent 26 years practising law before she was appointed to the Supreme Court of British Columbia. She was the first turbaned Sikh woman to be appointed as a judge in Canada.

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    https://d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net/media/new_article_images/PalbinderKaurShergill/Palbinder_Kaur_Shergill_Tweetonly.jpg Palbinder Kaur Shergill

  • Article

    Richard Wagner

    Richard Wagner, PC, lawyer, justice of the Superior Court of Quebec, justice of the Quebec Court of Appeal, justice and chief justice of the Supreme Court of Canada (born 2 April 1957 in Montreal, QC). Richard Wagner has been a justice on the Supreme Court of Canada since 5 October 2012. An expert in litigation and commercial law, he is one of three justices on the bench from Quebec. He has been Chief Justice of Canada since 18 December 2017. He also served as administrator of the Government of Canada (interim governor general) for six months in 2021 following the sudden resignation of Julie Payette. As chief justice, Wagner has sought to make the Supreme Court more transparent and accessible.

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    https://d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net/The_Honourable_Richard_Wagner.jpg Richard Wagner

  • Article

    Robert Jameson

    Robert Sympson Jameson (born 5 June 1796 in Harbridge, United Kingdom; died 1 August 1854 in Toronto, Ontario), lawyer and politician. Robert Jameson was the last British-appointed attorney general of Upper Canada (1833–37) and the first speaker of the Legislative Council of the Province of Canada (1841–43).

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    https://d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net/Robert_Sympson_Jameson.png Robert Jameson

  • Article

    Rosalie Silberman Abella

    Rosalie Silberman Abella, FRSC, justice of the Supreme Court of Canada 2004–21, justice of the Ontario Family Court 1976–92, justice of the Ontario Court of Appeal 1992–2004, lawyer (born 1 July 1946 in Stuttgart, Germany). Rosalie Silberman Abella is the first Jewish woman and the first former refugee to be appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada. She was also both the youngest person and the first pregnant person to become a judge in Canada. Abella served as a justice on the Supreme Court from 2004 until 2021. She is best known for her advocacy for employment equity, for determining the legal context that bars employment discrimination, and for extending survivor benefits to same-sex couples. She has received 40 honorary degrees and has been inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame.

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    https://d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net/20170125_GlobalJuristAward_Abella_cropped.jpg Rosalie Silberman Abella

  • Article

    Sheilah L. Martin

    Sheilah Louise Martin, justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, lawyer, professor (born 31 May 1956 in Montreal, Quebec). Sheilah L. Martin is currently a justice on the Supreme Court of Canada . She was appointed to the court on 18 December 2017. She has earned a reputation for her expertise in judicial ethics and for her efforts to eliminate stereotypes and myths around rape from Canada’s courts. She also played key roles in developing the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement and securing compensation for David Milgaard and Thomas Sophonow , two of Canada’s most infamous wrongful convictions.

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    https://d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net/sheilah-l-martin-bn-hr.jpg Sheilah L. Martin

  • Article

    Sir James Spearman Winter

    Sir James Spearman Winter, politician, prime minister of Newfoundland 1897-1900 (born 1 January 1845 in Lamaline, Newfoundland; died 6 October 1911 in Toronto, Ontario).

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    https://d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net/James_Spearman_Winter.jpg Sir James Spearman Winter

  • Article

    Stanley G. Grizzle

    Stanley George Sinclair Grizzle, CM, OOnt, citizenship judge, politician, civil servant, labour union activist (born 18 November 1918 in Toronto, ON; died 12 November 2016 in Toronto, ON). Stanley Grizzle had an illustrious career as a railway porter, soldier, civil servant, citizenship judge and activist for the rights of Black Canadians.

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    https://d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net/media/Twitter_Cards/Grizzle.jpg Stanley G. Grizzle

  • Article

    Suzanne Côté

    Suzanne Côté, justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, litigation lawyer, educator (born 21 September 1958, in Gaspé, QC.) One of Canada’s leading business lawyers, Suzanne Côté headed the litigation groups at Stikeman Elliot LLP and at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP. She also lectured in litigation, evidence and commercial law at the Université du Québec à Rimouski and the Université de Montréal. In 2014, she became the first woman to be appointed directly from a private law practice to the Supreme Court of Canada. She is currently one of three Quebec justices on the bench.

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    https://d2ttikhf7xbzbs.cloudfront.net/suzanne-cote-rr-hr.jpg Suzanne Côté