The Hon. Douglas Bice

Provincial Court Judge Douglas Bice provides a comprehensive account of his journey from a rural Kearney, Ontario upbringing to becoming one of Canada’s longest-serving provincial court judges. Born in 1930 to a father who was a trapper, writer, and outdoor guide, Bice initially worked alongside his father guiding fishermen in Algonquin Park before pursuing law at University College and Osgoode Hall Law School (1955-1959). After articling at Alexander, Hughes & Archer in Toronto, he returned to practice law in Muskoka, first in Gravenhurst with Peter Stewart, then establishing his own practice in Huntsville in 1961.

Bice’s judicial career began in 1966 when he was appointed Magistrate at age 35, becoming one of the last Magistrates before the transition to Provincial Court Judges under the 1968 Provincial Court Judges Act. Throughout his 32-year tenure, he served courts in Huntsville, Bracebridge, Gravenhurst, and Bala, handling the full spectrum of criminal and traffic cases. He played a significant role in modernizing court procedures, establishing proper schedules, implementing the Justice of the Peace education program, and contributing to the development of the Provincial Offences Act. His notable cases included several that went to the Supreme Court of Canada, including the Skolneck impaired driving case and the Simpson & Blacklock double murder preliminary hearing.

The interview details the evolution of the provincial court system, the introduction of legal aid, changes brought by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and Young Offenders Act, and the challenges of serving as the sole criminal judge in a large rural district. Bice retired in 1998 due to health concerns, having witnessed the transformation of provincial criminal justice from informal magistrate courts to a sophisticated judicial system with proper facilities, trained personnel, and comprehensive legal frameworks.

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