Robert Smith (judge)
Encyclopedia
The Honourable Mr. Justice Robert Smith (December 7, 1858 – March 18, 1942) was a Canadian
lawyer, politician and Puisne Justice
of the Supreme Court of Canada
.
Born in Lanark County
, Canada West (now Ontario
), the son of William Smith and Jean Neilson, he was educated in Almonte
and at Osgoode Hall
. He was called to the Ontario Bar in 1885. He then practiced law in Cornwall, Ontario
.
In 1888, Smith married Florence Parker Pettit.
In 1904
, he ran for the Canadian House of Commons
as a Liberal
in the riding of Stormont, Ontario
. He lost but won in 1908
. He did not run for re-election.
In 1908, Smith was named King's Counsel. Smith was a director and secretary-treasurer for the Montreal and Cornwall Navigation Company. He served as lieutenant-colonel in the militia.
In 1922, he was appointed to the High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Ontario
and then to the Appellate Division. In 1926, he sat on the Supreme Court as an ad host judge and was appointed as a judge in 1927. He retired in 1933.
Smith died in Ottawa
at the age of 83.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
lawyer, politician and Puisne Justice
Puisne Justice
A Puisne Justice or Puisne Judge is the title for a regular member of a Court. This is distinguished from the head of the Court who is known as the Chief Justice or Chief Judge. The term is used almost exclusively in common law jurisdictions such as England, Australia, Kenya, Canada, Sri Lanka,...
of the Supreme Court of Canada
Supreme Court of Canada
The Supreme Court of Canada is the highest court of Canada and is the final court of appeals in the Canadian justice system. The court grants permission to between 40 and 75 litigants each year to appeal decisions rendered by provincial, territorial and federal appellate courts, and its decisions...
.
Born in Lanark County
Lanark County, Ontario
Lanark County is a county located in the Canadian province of Ontario. As of 2006, the population is 63,785. Its county seat is Perth.The county took its name from the town of Lanark in Scotland.-Geography:...
, Canada West (now Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
), the son of William Smith and Jean Neilson, he was educated in Almonte
Almonte, Ontario
Almonte is a Canadian exurb and former mill town located in Lanark County, in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario, Canada. Formerly a separate municipality, Almonte is now a ward of the town of Mississippi Mills, which was created on January 1, 1998 by the merging of Almonte with Ramsay and...
and at Osgoode Hall
Osgoode Hall
Osgoode Hall is a landmark building in downtown Toronto constructed between 1829 and 1832 in the late Georgian Palladian and Neoclassical styles. It houses the Ontario Court of Appeal, the Divisional Court of the Superior Court of Justice, and the Law Society of Upper Canada...
. He was called to the Ontario Bar in 1885. He then practiced law in Cornwall, Ontario
Cornwall, Ontario
Cornwall is a city in Eastern Ontario, Canada and the seat of the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry, Ontario. Cornwall is Ontario's easternmost city, located on the St...
.
In 1888, Smith married Florence Parker Pettit.
In 1904
Canadian federal election, 1904
The Canadian federal election of 1904 was held on November 3 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 10th Parliament of Canada...
, he ran for the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
as a Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
in the riding of Stormont, Ontario
Stormont (electoral district)
Stormont was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1882, 1904 to 1917, and 1925 to 1968. It was located in the eastern part of the province of Ontario....
. He lost but won in 1908
Canadian federal election, 1908
The Canadian federal election of 1908 was held on October 26 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 11th Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier's Liberal Party of Canada was re-elected for a fourth consecutive term in government with a majority government...
. He did not run for re-election.
In 1908, Smith was named King's Counsel. Smith was a director and secretary-treasurer for the Montreal and Cornwall Navigation Company. He served as lieutenant-colonel in the militia.
In 1922, he was appointed to the High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Ontario
Supreme Court of Ontario
The Supreme Court of Ontario was a superior court of the Canadian province of Ontario. Now defunct, in 1989 the Courts of Justice Amendment Act, 1989 was enacted by the Government to create one large superior trial court for Ontario...
and then to the Appellate Division. In 1926, he sat on the Supreme Court as an ad host judge and was appointed as a judge in 1927. He retired in 1933.
Smith died in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
at the age of 83.