Justice Jean-Marc Labrosse

This oral history interview with Justice Jean-Marc Labrosse covers his remarkable judicial career from his early life in rural Quebec to his appointment to Ontario’s Court of Appeal. Born in 1935 in Masson, Quebec, Labrosse’s family valued education despite limited means, leading him through political science and law studies at the University of Ottawa. After articling in Sudbury and practicing law in northern Ontario, he became deeply involved in Liberal politics and community service, including founding a boys’ home and junior hockey team.

Labrosse was appointed to the High Court in 1975 at age 39, where he presided over the landmark Giguère case – the first bilingual criminal trial in Ontario. His appointment to the Court of Appeal in 1990 marked a significant period in his career, where he worked on notable cases including Stellato on impaired driving and various Charter rights cases. Throughout his career, Labrosse was instrumental in developing bilingual court services in Ontario, witnessing their evolution from virtually non-existent in 1990 to fully integrated by 2007. His interview provides valuable insights into the transformation of Ontario’s legal system, the collegial nature of appellate courts, and the challenges and rewards of serving justice in a bilingual legal environment.

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