Bertha Wilson

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Bertha Wilson, CC (born September 18, 1923) is a retired Canadian jurist and was the first woman Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada.

Born in Kirkcaldy, Scotland, the daughter of Archibald Wernham and Christina Noble, she received a Master of Arts degree from University of Aberdeen in 1944. Wilson emigrated to Canada with her husband, the Reverend John Wilson, in 1949. She married her husband in 1945.

She received a Bachelor of Laws degree from Dalhousie University and was called to the Nova Scotia Bar in 1957. She moved to Toronto in 1959, was called to the Ontario Bar and joined the firm of Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt. She became a partner in 1968.

She was the first woman appointed to the Ontario Court of Appeal in 1975 and, in 1982 became the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada. Wilson retired from the court in 1991, was made a Companion of the Order of Canada and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada that same year.

From 1991 to 1996, she was a Commissioner of The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples.

[edit] References

• Canadian Who's Who 1997 entry. Retrieved on February 14, 2006.

[edit] External links

• Biography of Bertha Wilson from the Supreme Court of Canada's website.

Legal Offices
Preceded by Ronald Martland	Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada March 4, 1982 – January 4, 1991	Succeeded by Frank Iacobucci

The Laskin court (1973–1984)

1973–1977: R. Martland | W. Judson | R. Ritchie | W.F. Spence | L. Pigeon | B. Dickson | J. Beetz | L.P. de Grandpré

1977–1978: R. Martland | R. Ritchie | W.F. Spence | L. Pigeon | B. Dickson | J. Beetz | W.Z. Estey | Y. Pratte

Jan. 1979-Sept. 1979: R. Martland | R. Ritchie | L. Pigeon | B. Dickson | J. Beetz | W.Z. Estey | Y. Pratte | W.R. McIntyre

Sept. 1979-1980: R. Martland | R. Ritchie | L. Pigeon | B. Dickson | J. Beetz | W.Z. Estey | W.R. McIntyre | J. Chouinard

1980-1982: R. Martland | R. Ritchie | B. Dickson | J. Beetz | W.Z. Estey | W.R. McIntyre | J. Chouinard | A. Lamer

1982-1984 R. Ritchie | B. Dickson | J. Beetz | W.Z. Estey | W.R. McIntyre | J. Chouinard | A. Lamer | B. Wilson

The Dickson court (1984–1990)

1984–1985: R. Ritchie | J. Beetz | W.Z. Estey | W.R. McIntyre | J. Chouinard | A. Lamer | B. Wilson | G. Le Dain

1985–1987: J. Beetz | W.Z. Estey | W.R. McIntyre | J. Chouinard | A. Lamer | B. Wilson | G. Le Dain | G. La Forest

1987–May 1988: J. Beetz | W.Z. Estey | W.R. McIntyre | A. Lamer | B. Wilson | G. Le Dain | G. La Forest | C. L'Heureux-Dubé

May 1988–Nov. 1988: J. Beetz | W.R. McIntyre | A. Lamer | B. Wilson | G. Le Dain | G. La Forest | C. L'Heureux-Dubé | J. Sopinka

Nov. 1988-1989 W.R. McIntyre | A. Lamer | B. Wilson | G. La Forest | C. L'Heureux-Dubé | J. Sopinka | C. Gonthier | P. Cory

March 1989-1990 A. Lamer | B. Wilson | G. La Forest | C. L'Heureux-Dubé | J. Sopinka | C. Gonthier | P. Cory | B. McLachlin

The Lamer court (1990–2000)

1990–1991: B. Wilson | G. La Forest | C. L'Heureux-Dubé | J. Sopinka | C. Gonthier | P. Cory | B. McLachlin | W. Stevenson

1991–1992: G. La Forest | C. L'Heureux-Dubé | J. Sopinka | C. Gonthier | P. Cory | B. McLachlin | W. Stevenson | F. Iacobucci

1992–1997: G. La Forest | C. L'Heureux-Dubé | J. Sopinka | C. Gonthier | P. Cory | B. McLachlin | F. Iacobucci | J.C. Major

1997–1998: C. L'Heureux-Dubé | J. Sopinka | C. Gonthier | P. Cory | B. McLachlin | F. Iacobucci | J.C. Major | M. Bastarache

1998–1999: C. L'Heureux-Dubé | C. Gonthier | P. Cory | B. McLachlin | F. Iacobucci | J.C. Major | M. Bastarache | W.I. Binnie

1999–2000: C. L'Heureux-Dubé | C. Gonthier | B. McLachlin | F. Iacobucci | J.C. Major | M. Bastarache | W.I. Binnie | L. Arbour