J. Edward "Ted" Richard is a former territorial level politician, lawyer and senior judge of the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories

Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories

The Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories is the name of two different superior courts for the Canadian territory of the Northwest Territories, which have existed at different times.The first Supreme Court of the North-West Territories was created in 1885...

. Richards, a former lawyer, was a partner in the law firm of Richard, Vertes, Peterson & Schuler in Yellowknife

Yellowknife, Northwest Territories

Yellowknife is the capital and largest city of the Northwest Territories , Canada. It is located on the northern shore of Great Slave Lake, approximately south of the Arctic Circle, on the west side of Yellowknife Bay near the outlet of the Yellowknife River...

, Northwest Territories

Northwest Territories

The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...

. He practiced private law until 1988.

Richard was first elected to the Northwest Territories Legislature in the 1983 Northwest Territories general election

Northwest Territories general election, 1983

The Northwest Territories general election, 1983 was the 15th general election in the Northwest Territories history. The election took place on November 21, 1983....

. He won the Yellowknife South

Yellowknife South

Yellowknife South is a territorial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories, Canada.It is one of seven districts that represent Yellowknife and the current Member of the Legislative Assembly is Bob McLeod....

 electoral district defeating incumbent Lynda Sorenson

Lynda Sorenson

Lynda Sorenson is a politician in Northwest Territories, Canada.Lynda served one term in the Legislative Assembly of Northwest Territories she was elected in the 1979 Northwest Territories general election...

. Richard was re-elected to his second term in the 1987 Northwest Territories general election

Northwest Territories general election, 1987

The Northwest Territories general election, 1987 was the 16th general election in the history of the Northwest Territories, Canada. The election took place on October 5, 1987.This was the last election in which Elections Canada would administer the elections....

. He vacated his seat a year later when he was appointed to the Northwest Territories Supreme Court.

Richard was also appointed to serve as a judge in the Court of Appeal of Nunavut.