John Douglas Arnup (1911 – 2005)

After being called to the bar in 1935 John Arnup practiced with Mason, Foulds, Davidson, Carter & Kellock (now Weir and Foulds). During his time at the firm, he became one of Toronto’s most highly regarded litigators. Arnup was elected a Bencher to the Law Society of upper Canada in 1952 and Treasurer in 1963. During his time with the Law Society he was involved in the remaking of legal education, the moving of Osgoode Hall Law School to York University, the shaping of ethical and auditing standards and the creation of legal aid in 1966. He was appointed to the Ontario Court of Appeal in 1970 where he served until his retirement in 1985.

After his retirement he wrote a biography of his personal hero, Justice William Edward Middleton. He was named a King’s Counsel in 1950 and was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1989 for his contributions to legal education in the Province of Ontario and his work in the development of Osgoode Hall Law School.

Osgoode Society for Canadian Legal History Books

Middleton: The Beloved Judge (Toronto: The Osgoode Society and McClelland & Stewart, 1988), 202 pp.