The Hon. Lee Ferrier

This comprehensive interview with Mr. Justice Lee Ferrier covers his extensive involvement in the governance of Ontario’s legal profession from the 1970s through 1991. Ferrier details his leadership roles including founding the Canadian Bar Association Family Law Section in 1969, serving on the CBA Council for ten years, and his tenure as a Law Society of Upper Canada Bencher from 1979-1991. His two-year term as Treasurer (1988-1990) was marked by significant challenges, most notably his handling of the Lang, Michener affair involving Martin Pilzmaker’s fraudulent passport scheme for Chinese immigrants.

The interview extensively covers Ferrier’s involvement in major legal system developments including the establishment of legal aid clinics, the clinic funding committee, and various cost-saving measures like affidavit-based uncontested divorces. He discusses his role in negotiating the Canadian Autoworkers Union prepaid legal services plan and his work on multiple Law Society committees including Legal Education, Continuing Education, and Public Information. The conversation concludes with his 1991 judicial appointment and reflections on the legal profession’s evolution, including discussions of the Q.C. system, discipline processes, advertising regulations, and the transition to open Convocation meetings.

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