The Hon. Robert Armstrong

Justice Robert Armstrong’s oral history provides a comprehensive account of a distinguished legal career spanning practice, public service, and the judiciary. Born in Ottawa in 1938, Armstrong studied political science at Carleton University and law at the University of Toronto, where he was influenced by Bora Laskin and Caesar Wright. After articling with Charles Dubin, he developed a successful litigation practice, serving as counsel on several major royal commissions including the Morand Inquiry into police practices (1974-75), the Grange Inquiry into the Mississauga train derailment (1979), and the Dubin Inquiry into drugs in sport (1989-91).

Armstrong’s account provides particular insight into his tenure as Treasurer of the Law Society of Upper Canada (1999-2001), during which he championed professionalism, competence standards, and opposition to multi-disciplinary partnerships with accounting firms. His systematic visits to all 47 county and district law associations represented an unprecedented effort to connect the Law Society with the broader Ontario legal community. The interview concludes with his appointment to the Ontario Court of Appeal in 2002.

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