The Hon. Bernard Kelly

This oral history interview with Justice Bernard Kelly provides a comprehensive account of his legal career spanning from 1959 to 2000. Born in Toronto in 1934 to a family with no previous legal connections, Kelly’s father was President of O’Keefe Breweries under E.P. Taylor. Kelly attended Catholic schools, graduated from Assumption College in 1955, and completed his law degree at Osgoode Hall in 1959.

Kelly articled with Lorenzetti, Mariani & Wolfe before forming a highly successful partnership with John O’Driscoll in 1959. The firm, later expanded to include Nick McRae, handled both criminal and commercial work, with Kelly focusing on solicitor’s work while his partners concentrated on criminal litigation. Notable cases included O’Driscoll’s appeal of the Truscott case to the Supreme Court of Canada. After O’Driscoll’s judicial appointment, Kelly joined Aird, Zimmerman, Berlis from 1972-75 before returning to sole practice until 1981.

Appointed to the Provincial Court Criminal Division in 1981 by Attorney General Roy McMurtry, Kelly served as a trial judge before becoming Regional Senior Judge for Metropolitan Toronto from 1991-1996. During this period, he managed 72 judges and dealt with the significant impact of the Askov decision on court delays. Kelly presided over the major preliminary hearing in R. v. Cornacchia, Markle & Rosenberg (the Greymac case) from 1988-1990, producing a 547-page decision. His interview provides valuable insights into the evolution of legal practice, judicial administration, case management systems, and the changing nature of the Ontario court system during the late 20th century.

This description was written by AI and may contain some inaccuracies.