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John J. Robinette, Peerless Mentor: An Appreciation
2003 
by George D. Finlayson, formerly of the Court of Appeal for Ontario. Published with Dundurn Press, 2003.
John Robinette is generally acknowledged to have been the foremost counsel of his era and was, perhaps, Canada’s greatest advocate of all time. Comfortable before any court or tribunal at any level and regardless of issue, he combined all the technical skills of the finest courtroom tactician with an unerring good judgment that kept him cerebrally above the fray while at the same time allowing him to participate with relish in the forensic battle on the hearing room floor. A formidable verbal gladiator to his adversaries, he is as well remembered for his unfailing courtesy to court and counsel alike. He never took unfair advantage of an opponent and outside the courtroom he was revered for his kindness and generosity to younger counsel whom he treated, unpretentiously, as equals.
John J. Robinette, Peerless Mentor, is an intimate memoir by George Finlayson, a man who had unique access to Robinette. From early 1951, Finlayson was Robinette’s student, junior and partner in that order until Finlayson’s elevation to the Ontario Court of Appeal in December of 1984. Thereafter, he continued as his friend and confidant until Robinette’s death in late 1996. Over these years he was witness to Robinette’s extraordinary career as a lawyer and is in a privileged position to report on his achievements, his successes, and his disappointments.
The result is an intensely personal and engrossing account of the professional life of a great advocate told against the changing background of his time.
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Contents
Contents
Foreword
11
Acknowledgements
13
Introduction
15
Chapter One
Origins
19
Chapter Two
Education and Early Years
30
Chapter Three
Evelyn Dick on Appeal
48
Chapter Four
Evelyn Dick Retried
73
Chapter Five
McCarthy & McCarthy
106
Chapter Six
Apprenticed to the Law
119
Chapter Seven
Steven Suchan of the Boyd Gang
139
Chapter Eight
JJR Makes a Choice
186
Chapter Nine
First Among Equals
201
Chapter Ten
Taking in Our Own Laundry: Ross v. Lamport
222
Chapter Eleven
Taking in Our Own Laundry Part II: NONG and Leo Landreville
238
Chapter Twelve
The View from Olympus
271
Chapter Thirteen
Thar’s Anomalies in Them Thar Hills
306
Chapter Fourteen
Still Cutting the Mustard
328
Chapter Fifteen
Counsel to Canada 345
Chapter Sixteen
The Mother of All Constitutional Cases
364
Epilogue
405
Notes
409
Reviews
Finlayson’s recollections of his mentor make fascinating reading, combining his personal knowledge of the man with the legal, social and political settings in which he performed. The Finlayson reminiscences make fascinating reading for anyone interested in the law and one of Canada's greatest advocates. I highly recommend it. Bob Aaron, The Toronto Star, 29 November 2003, p. MO6.
It’s a hybrid - part memoir, part biography. While that might sound a touch unwieldy, it turn out to be a marvellous approach. The reader benefits from seeing how two mighty lawyers approached their cases, firms and relationships. Both were a creation of a city and a profession changed beyond recognition. Firms were few, female partners non-existent, and the legal world revolved around the trial courts. Kirk Makin, Globe and Mail, 12 January 2004, p. B10.
Gail Henderson, Osgoode Hall Law Journal, Vol 42, 2004, p. 541.
Gilles Renaud, Advocate, Vol 62, 2004, p. 99.
David Stockwood, The Advocates’ Society Journal, 1 September 2003.
Christopher English and Beverly Evans-Hong, Canadian Book Review Annual, 2003, p. 45.