Richard J. Scott

Richard Jamieson Scott (March 20, 1938 – November 22, 2024) was a Canadian jurist who served as Chief Justice of Manitoba. In that capacity, he presided over the Manitoba Court of Appeal from 1990 to 2013. Among his most notable decisions are those in the cases Rebenchuk v Rebenchuk, Manitoba Métis Federation Inc v Canada (Attorney General) et al. (2010), O'Brien v Tyrone Enterprises Ltd (2012), and, while he was on the Court of Queen's Bench of Manitoba, R v Lavallee.

Early life and career Scott was born on March 20, 1938, and raised in St. Vital, Manitoba, in what has since become a neighbourhood of Winnipeg. He had wanted to become a test pilot, but as his eyesight was not good enough, he turned to law. He attended the University of Manitoba, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1959 and a Bachelor of Laws degree and a Governor General's Academic Gold Medal in 1963. He married his wife Mary with whom he went on to have three daughters.

Scott had started working for Thompson, Dilts, Jones, Hall, Dewar & Ritchie in 1961 and became an associate following his call to the bar in May 1963. He later became a partner in the firm (which adopted their current name, Thompson Dorfman Sweatman, in 1973) and was appointed as Queen's Counsel in 1976.

Court of Queen's Bench Scott stayed with Thompson Dorfman Sweatman until 1985 when he was appointed to the Court of Queen's Bench of Manitoba.

In 1990, he served as the trial judge in R v Lavallee, a case which was ultimately heard by the Supreme Court of Canada and which granted legal recognition to battered woman syndrome as a defence. The decision has been described by legal scholar Richard F. Devlin as "monumental".

Chief Justiceship On July 31, 1990, Scott was appointed to the Manitoba Court of Appeal as the tenth Chief Justice of Manitoba, succeeding Alfred Monnin.

In July 2017, he was appointed to the Supreme Court Advisory Board by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The board's mandate is to provide an independent, merit-based recommendation to fill the vacancy created by the upcoming retirement of Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin.

Scott died on November 21, 2024, at the age of 86.