The Hon. R. Roy McMurtry

This oral history interview with Roy McMurtry traces his distinguished career in Ontario’s legal system, from his early family background and education at St. Andrews College through his rise to become one of Ontario’s most influential legal figures. Born in Toronto in 1932 to a legal family, McMurtry followed his father into law practice, initially working at family firms before entering public service.

As Ontario’s Attorney General from 1975-1985, McMurtry worked closely with deputy attorneys general Frank Callaghan and Allan Leal on major law reform initiatives, particularly family law reform, and personally argued important constitutional cases like the Anti-Inflation Board case before the Supreme Court of Canada. After returning to private practice and serving as Canadian Football League commissioner, he was appointed to the judiciary in 1991, becoming Associate Chief Justice and later Chief Justice of Ontario in 1994. In his judicial roles, McMurtry oversaw significant administrative reforms including the merger of the High Court and District Court, the creation of the specialized Family Law Division, and various modernization efforts in court management and judicial administration that helped shape Ontario’s contemporary court system.

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