LogoutThe Hon. Abraham Lieff
Justice Abraham Herman Lieff (1903-) provides a comprehensive account of his journey from Russian immigrant to prominent Canadian jurist. Born in Antopol, Russia, he immigrated to Canada in 1904 and grew up in Ottawa’s Jewish community, facing antisemitism while pursuing his education. After articling in Ottawa law firms and attending Osgoode Hall on minimal financial support, he built a successful practice specializing in divorce law when such matters required Senate approval.
Lieff’s career encompassed both legal practice and political involvement with the Liberal Party, leading to his appointment as a relieving magistrate under the Hepburn government. His judicial philosophy emphasized humanizing the legal process, particularly in family law matters. As a Supreme Court judge, he pioneered pre-trial conferences for family disputes and handled significant cases including major negligence awards and criminal matters. His contributions to Canadian legal history include advancing alternative dispute resolution in family law and demonstrating judicial compassion in dealing with vulnerable populations, particularly children and families in crisis.
This description was written by AI and may contain some inaccuracies.
References
The following are a selection of topics discussed in this oral history.
- County Courts
- Court of Appeal
- Division Court
- Exchequer Court
- Family Court
- House of Commons
- Juvenile Court
- Ottawa Police Court
- Provincial Courts
- Senate
- Supreme Court of Canada
- Supreme Court of Ontario
- Unified Family Court
- Weekly Court
- Harvard University
- McGill University
- Osgoode Hall
- University of Guelph Faculty of Consumer and Family Studies
- Air Canada
- Attorney General
- Hepburn Government
- House of Commons
- Immigration Department
- Justice Department
- Legal Aid
- Liberal Party
- Official Guardian
- Ontario Parole Board
- Senate
- TTC
- 1968 Divorce Act
- Asbestos strike
- Beauharnois scandal
- Bren Gun Inquiry
- Czarist oppression
- Family Law Reform Act
- First World War
- Great Depression
- Jewish immigration to North America
- Kishinev Pogrom
- Russian Pogroms
- Second World War
- Spy trials
- typhoid fever epidemic in Ottawa around 1912
- Belleville
- Canada
- Carleton County
- Cornwall
- England
- Hamilton
- Kingston
- London
- Montreal
- Nova Scotia
- Ontario
- Ottawa
- Quebec
- Renfrew County
- Russia
- Sault Ste. Marie
- Thunder Bay
- Toronto
- United States
- Bennett & Cameron
- Blakes
- Cameron, Brewin & Scott
- Common, Howard & Cate
- E.R.E. Chevrier
- Gowling McTavish
- Gregory & Gregory
- Hughes Laishley
- Luxenberg Levinter
- McDonald Clarke
- McGivern, Haydon and Ebbes
- Middleborough and Scott
- Phelan & Richardson
- Smith Rae Greer
- Doxtator and Burch
- Fraser and Ronsten
- Gartshore and Stevens
- Hedley Byrne
- Hyrsky v. Smith
- Indermaur v. Dames
- McGregor v. Boyd Builders
- Messineo and Beale
- Nunn v. Nunn
- Queen v. Agawa and Mallet
- Queen v. V.K. Mason Construction Limited
- Regina v. Dick
- Rex and Comba
- Rylands v. Fletcher
- Seeman v. Seeman
- Stopforth v. Goyer
- Truscott case
- Judge
- Ontario Superior Court
- Abraham Herman Lieff
- Arthur Maloney
- Arthur Roebuck
- Austin O'Connor
- Charlie Dubin
- Charlotte Whitton
- Chief Justice McRuer
- E.R.E. Chevrier
- Edward Greenspan
- Ernest LaPointe
- George McIlraith
- Jean François Pouliot
- Johnny Robinette
- Justice Schroeder
- Lionel Chevrier
- Mackenzie King
- Mike Pearson
- Mitch Hepburn
- Paul Martin
- Sam Berger
- 20th Century Liberal Association
- American Bar Association
- Canadian Bar Association
- Children's Aid Society
- Kiwanis Club
- Law Society
- Masonic Lodge
- Osgoode Society for Canadian Legal History
- Young Liberals of Canada
- Zonta Club
- 1900s
- 1910s
- 1920s
- 1930s
- 1940s
- 1950s
- 1960s
- 1970s
- 1980s
- adultery
- Child Protection Law
- collusion
- conciliation
- condonation
- connivance
- Construction Safety Act
- Criminal Law
- cruelty
- Custody
- desertion
- Divorce Law
- Family Law
- Hansard
- Juvenile Delinquency
- Legal Aid
- libel and defamation
- maintenance
- Mediation
- ministerial responsibility
- Murder
- Natural Justice
- Negligence
- Occupiers' Liability
- paraplegic damages
- Pre-Trial Conferences
- Qualified Privilege
- restrictive covenants
- Senate divorce
- solicitor negligence
- strict liability
- substantial performance
- witness credibility
Some of these references were generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies.
Archive Details
Files consist of oral history records documenting the life and career of Abraham Lieff (1903-2007), a lawyer who served as Assistant Crown Attorney (1935-1937), Magistrate of Carleton County (1939-1945), Justice of the Supreme Court of Ontario (1963-1978), and Commissioner of the Supreme Court of Ontario (1978-1990). Interview topics include: family background; articling; Osgoode Hall Law School; Politics, Liberal Party; Magistrate, 1937- 1946; appointment to bench; development of family law from 1926; select family law cases as judge; select criminal cases; select real estate cases. Interview conducted by Christine J.N. Kates. File includes eight audio cassette recordings from a series of five interviews, a transcript with index (376 p.), news clippings, holograph notes regarding court cases, and forms relating to the Osgoode Society Oral History Programme.