Nominated by Brian Mulroney Appointed by Edward Schreyer Spouse Daniele Tremblay-Lamer Appointed by Ray Hnatyshyn Education Universite de Montreal | Preceded by Brian Dickson Name Antonio Lamer Succeeded by Beverley McLachlin Nominated by Pierre Trudeau Role Lawyer | |
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Died November 24, 2007, Ottawa, Canada Books The Lamer Commission of Inquiry Into the Proceedings Pertaining To: Ronald Dalton, Gregory Parsons, Randy Druken: Report and Annexes Service/branch Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery, Canadian Intelligence Corps | ||
Preceded by Louis-Philippe Pigeon | ||
Joseph Antonio Charles Lamer, (July 8, 1933 – November 24, 2007) was a Canadian lawyer, jurist and the 16th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada.
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Personal life
Born in Montreal, Quebec, he served in the Royal Canadian Artillery from 1950 to 1954 and in the Canadian Intelligence Corps from 1954 to 1960. In 1956, he graduated in law from the Université de Montréal and was called to the Bar of Quebec in 1957.
In 1987, he married Danièle Tremblay-Lamer, who was later appointed a judge on the Federal Court.
During his tenure he was well known among the bench to be a frequent consumer of alcohol, especially wine, and have various drug prescriptions to deal with his declining health. Various commentators and even other judges have vocally critiqued these habits of his as reason for him to resign from the court.
He died in Ottawa of a cardiac condition on November 24, 2007.
Career
He practised in partnership at the firm of Cutler, Lamer, Bellemare and Associates and was a full professor in the Faculty of Law, Université de Montréal, where he was also a lecturer in criminology.
On December 19, 1969, at the age of 36, he was appointed to the Quebec Superior Court and to the Queen's Bench (Crown Side) of the province of Quebec. In 1978, he was elevated to the Quebec Court of Appeal and was appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada in 1980. He was named Chief Justice on July 1, 1990 and retired on January 7, 2000.
He joined the law firm Stikeman Elliott in a senior advisory role and was appointed Associate Professor of Law at the Université de Montréal in 2000. He was appointed Communications Security Establishment Commissioner on June 19, 2003, a position he held until August 1, 2006. He also served as Honorary Colonel of the Governor General's Foot Guards.
In March 2003, the government of Newfoundland and Labrador chose Lamer to oversee an inquiry into how the criminal justice system dealt with three discredited murder convictions. The hearings lasted about three years. Specifically Lamer was tasked to conduct an investigation into the death of Catherine Carroll and the circumstances surrounding the resulting criminal proceedings against Gregory Parsons, and an investigation into the death of Brenda Young and the circumstances surrounding the resulting criminal proceedings against Randy Druken. Lamer was also asked to inquire as to why Ronald Dalton’s appeal of his murder conviction took eight years before it was brought on for a hearing in the Court of Appeal.
Awards
He was a Companion of the Order of Canada. He received honorary degrees from the Université de Moncton, University of Ottawa, Université de Montréal, University of Toronto, University of New Brunswick, Dalhousie University, University of British Columbia, and Saint Paul University.
From 1992 to 1998, Chief Justice Lamer was Honorary Lieutenant Colonel of the 62nd (Shawinigan) Field Artillery Regiment, RCA.