Fonds PF73 - James Chalmers McRuer fonds

James Chalmers McRuer was born on 23 August 1890 in Oxford County, Ontario, to John McRuer and Mary Chalmers. After studying at the University of Toronto, McRuer was admitted to Osgoode Hall Law Society in 1908 and was called to the Bar in 1914. He practiced with Skeans, McRuer, Buck (1914-1918) and as an assistant Crown Attorney for the City of Toronto (1921-1925). During the First World War, McRuer served with the Canadian Field Artillery and Anti-Aircraft Battery. McRuer was made a King's Counsel in 1929. In 1936, McRuer was elected a bencher of the Law Society of Upper Canada, a position he held until his appointment as a justice with the Court of Appeal in 1944. McRuer served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Ontario, High Court of Justice from 1945 to 1964. McRuer was also a member of the Bar in British Columbia and Alberta. He participated in several royal commissions, including those on civil rights and freedom of information and individual privacy. He served on the Ontario Law Reform Commission from 1964 to 1966. He lectured at Osgoode Hall Law School, served as President of the Canadian Bar Association, President of the Canadian Save the Children's Fund, and as Honorary Consul for the Netherlands. McRuer died in Toronto on 6 October 1985.