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Biography & Autobiography Lawyers & Judges

The Court of Queen's Bench of Manitoba, 1870-1950

A Biographical History

by (author) Dale Brawn

Publisher
University of Toronto Press
Initial publish date
Dec 2006
Category
Lawyers & Judges, Legal History
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9780802092250
    Publish Date
    Dec 2006
    List Price
    $106.00
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781442657861
    Publish Date
    Dec 2006
    List Price
    $84.00

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Description

This study of the Manitoba judiciary is not only the first biographical history to examine an entire provincial bench, it is also one of the first studies to offer an internal view of the political nature of the judicial appointment process. Dale Brawn has penned the biographies of the first thirty-three men appointed to Manitoba's Court of Queen's Bench. The relative youth of Manitoba as a province and the small size of its legal profession makes possible an exceptionally detailed investigation of the background of those appointed to the province's highest trial court.

The biographical data that Brawn has collected for this book highlights the extent to which judicial candidates underwent a socialization process designed to produce a legal elite whose members shared remarkably similar views and ways of thinking. In addition, these biographies suggest that until at least 1950, seats on provincial benches were rewards for political services rendered. Many lawyers became judges not because of their legal ability, but because they had made themselves known in the communities in which they practiced. This fascinating study offers an intimate look at personalities ranging from prime ministers to members of the bench and both senior levels of government.

About the author

Dale Brawn is a law professor at Laurentian University in Sudbury. His previous books include Last Moments: When the Penalty for Murder Was Death, Every Stone a Story II, and The Court of Queen's Bench of Manitoba 1870-1950.

Dale Brawn's profile page