The Hon. John Arnup

This interview captures the Hon. John Arnup’s pivotal role in two major developments in Ontario’s legal landscape. As Treasurer of the Law Society of Ontario from 1963-1966, Arnup spearheaded the transition from voluntary legal aid to Ontario’s first paid legal aid system. He details his negotiations with Attorney General Fred Cass, the creation of the joint committee chaired by Bill Common, and the appointment of Andrew Lawson as the first Director of Legal Aid. Arnup emphasizes his belief that legal aid was a matter of human justice and a right, not welfare.

The interview also covers Arnup’s role as a founding director of the Advocates’ Society in 1963. Along with Isadore Levinter and T.N. Phelan, who conceived the idea, Arnup helped establish this organization to improve advocacy skills among younger lawyers. He discusses the society’s early meetings, its educational mission, and the controversial move of Campbell House to University Avenue in 1968. Though he stepped back from active involvement after 1965 due to his Law Society duties, Arnup remained proud of both organizations’ evolution and success.

Throughout both discussions, Arnup provides insights into the tight-knit Toronto legal community of the 1960s, the informal networks among senior barristers, and the collaborative spirit that drove these institutional innovations in legal education and access to justice.

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