Antonio Lamer

Joseph Antonio Charles Lamer (July 8, 1933 – November 24, 2007) was a Canadian lawyer and jurist who served as the 16th Chief Justice of Canada from 1990 to 2000.

Career Lamer 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. Brian Mulroney named Lamer as Chief Justice on July 1, 1990. Several years after his death, former judges spoke about the situation surrounding his retirement.

In a CBC interview, Lamer described how the Supreme Court of Canada was transformed following the 1982 Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms under then Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau which expanded the role of the judiciary. Lamer described it as "somewhat of a shock to see their job description changed so fundamentally." Eugene Meehan, who was Lamer's first executive legal officer at the Supreme Court of Canada described Lamer as "a foundational builder", who was "one of the key architects of how courts interpret" the 1982 Charter" ..."building on the work of his predecessor as chief justice, Brian Dickson." 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.

Personal life Born in Montreal, Quebec, Lamer served part-time in the Royal Canadian Artillery reserve from 1950 to 1954 while completing his studies at the Collège de Saint-Laurent 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.

Lamer died in Ottawa of a cardiac condition on November 24, 2007, and was entombed at the Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery in Montreal.

Recognition 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.

Ribbon bars of Antonio Lamer