John C. Major.html



John Charles Major, C.C. (born February 20, 1931) is a Canadian jurist and was a puisne justice on the Supreme Court of Canada from 1992 to 2005.

Born in in Mattawa, Ontario, Major received a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Loyola College in 1953 and a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law in 1957. He was appointed a Queen's Counsel in 1972. He practiced law as a partner in the Calgary office of Bennett Jones LLP for 34 years. From 1975 to 1985, he was the Senior Counsel for the City of Calgary Police Service. He was appointed to the Court of Appeal of Alberta on July 11, 1991.

Supreme Court

On November 13, 1992 he was appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada, by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. During much of his time of the Court he was a comparatively low-key judge. He was known for his belief in providing deference to government and for his particularly succinct writing style.

Justice Major's term was to expire in February 2006, however, he decided to step down on December 25, 2005.

Post Court

On January 5, 2006, he rejoined the Calgary office of Bennett Jones LLP, the firm he practised law for before being appointed a judge. On March 8, he was appointed by Prime Minister Harper to lead a commission to investigate the Air India bombing and its trial. He was made a Companion of the Order of Canada in the Canada Day 2008 appointments.¹

References

• Supreme Court of Canada
• "Canadian Who's Who 1997 entry". Retrieved on February 14, 2006.

See also

• Reasons of the Supreme Court of Canada by Justice Major