Charles Fitzpatrick
Sir Charles Fitzpatrick, GCMG , PC (December 19th, 1853 - June 17th, 1942) was a Canadian lawyer and politician. He was born in Quebec City, Canada East, to John Fitzpatrick and Mary Connelly.
Fitzpatrick was called to the Quebec bar in 1876, and founded the firm of Fitzpatrick & Taschereau in Quebec City.
In 1885, he acted as chief counsel to Louis Riel who was on trial for leading the North-West Rebellion. Riel was found guilty and sentenced to death.
Fitzpatrick entered politics in 1890, winning election to the Quebec Legislative Assembly.
He was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 1896 federal election as a Liberal Member of Parliament (MP). He served as Solicitor General of Canada from 1896 to 1902, and as Minister of Justice from 1902 until 1906. He was appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada as Chief Justice. He served in that position until 1918 when he was appointed Lieutenant Governor of Quebec.
He is the only Chief Justice other than Sir William Buell Richards to have served in that position without having first been an Associate Justice on the court. (Richards was Chief Justice at the court's creation in 1875.)
He died on June 17th, 1942 in Quebec City.
External links
- 1853 births
- 1942 deaths
- Chief Justices of the Supreme Court of Canada
- Liberal Party of Canada MPs
- Members of the 8th Ministry in Canada
- Members of the Canadian House of Commons from Quebec
- Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George
- Lieutenant Governors of Quebec
- Quebec MNAs
- Members of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada