Personal Details

Born in Ottawa on July 30, 1934. Married Lillian Chartrand of Montreal on April 16, 1966. Resides in Rockcliffe Park, Ontario. Lillian is a graduate of the University of Ottawa.

Educational Background

University of Ottawa, B.A. (Political Science) with Honours - 1955.

Osgoode Hall Law School, Toronto - called with Honours and awarded the Gold Medal and the Chancellor Van Koughnet Scholarship - 1959 - LL.B. York University.

Called to the Ontario Bar - 1959.

Awarded a Rotary Foundation Fellowship - 1959.

Louvain University, Belgium, Licentiate in Political and Social Sciences with Honours - 1960.

Practice Background

Practiced law in Ottawa with Gowling & Henderson from 1960 to 1988 and with Lang Michener from July 1988 to August 1994.

Appointed Judge of the Federal Court of Canada, Trial Division, and ex officio Member of the Federal Court of Canada, Appeal Division, August 30, 1994. Appointed Judge of the Court Martial Appeal Court of Canada, January 11, 1995.

Appointed Associate Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Canada, June 23, 1998.

Appointed Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Canada, November 4, 1999.

Appointed Vice-Chairperson of the Canadian Judicial Council, 2002.

Following the coming into force of amendments to the Federal Court Act (on July 2, 2003) which created a separate Federal Court of Appeal, he became the Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Appeal.

Professional Activities

Certified as a specialist in civil litigation by the Law Society of Upper Canada.

Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.

Member of the Advocates' Society.

Life Fellow Foundation for Legal Research in Canada.

Appointed Queen's Counsel in 1976.

Appointed by the Government of Canada to the binational panel and the extraordinary challenge committee, established under Chapter 19 of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Community Activities

Trustee of the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (1973 - 1974) and former Governor of the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Foundation.

Chairman (1975 - 1976) and a Member of the Board of Governors (1973 - 1985) of St. Vincent Hospital.

Campaign Chairman, United Way of Ottawa-Carleton (1976).

President, United Way of Ottawa-Carleton (1979).

Director, Ottawa YM-YWCA (1977 - 1980).

Campaign Chairman, Arthritis Society of Ottawa-Carleton (1981 - 1982).

Councillor, Village of Rockcliffe Park (1981 - 1988).

Director of the Ottawa Arts Centre Foundation (1987 - 1989).

Member of the Board of Governors and the Executive Committee of Carleton University (1982 - 1991).

President, l'Association des juristes d'expression française de l'Ontario (1987 - 1989).

Fellow and Director of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society (1987 - 1993).

Mandatory retirement by reason of age on July 30, 2009.

Appointed Honorary Chairperson of Reach Canada on September 29, 2009.