Thibaudeau Rinfret

Thibaudeau Rinfret
Justice Rinfret, c. 1950
9th Chief Justice of Canada
In office
January 8, 1944 – June 22, 1954
Nominated byWilliam Lyon Mackenzie King
Preceded byLyman Poore Duff
Succeeded byPatrick Kerwin
Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada
In office
October 1, 1924 – January 8, 1944
Nominated byWilliam Lyon Mackenzie King
Preceded byArthur Malouin
Succeeded byRoy Kellock
Personal details
Born(1879-06-22)June 22, 1879
Montreal, Quebec
DiedJuly 25, 1962(1962-07-25) (aged 83)
NationalityCanadian
RelationsFernand Rinfret, brother
Charles Rinfret, brother
Alma materUniversité Laval à Montréal, Faculté de droit and McGill University
OccupationLawyer, jurist

Thibaudeau Rinfret PC (June 22, 1879 – July 25, 1962) was a Canadian jurist and the ninth Chief Justice of Canada and Administrator of Canada in 1952.

Early life[edit]

Rinfret was born in Montreal in 1879, the son of François-Olivier Rinfret and Albina Pominville.[1] He was the brother of Fernand Rinfret, Liberal politician who became Mayor of Montreal, and brother of Charles Rinfret, a prominent Montreal businessman.[2]

Professional career[edit]

Rinfret studied law at the Université Laval à Montréal, Faculté de droit and McGill University and was called to the Bar of Quebec in 1901. He was appointed to the Quebec Superior Court in 1922 and to the Supreme Court of Canada in 1924.[1]

Rinfret became Chief Justice on January 8, 1944, and served until his retirement on June 22, 1954.[1] During his term as Chief Justice, Canada ended appeals to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council making the Supreme Court of Canada the final court of appeal in Canadian jurisprudence.[3]

Rinfret was Administrator of the Government in 1952 after the departure of Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis, and until Vincent Massey could officially be sworn in as Governor General of Canada. During this time he proclaimed Elizabeth II as Queen of Canada, following the death of King George VI.

Personal life[edit]

His son was the Quebec politician and judge Édouard Rinfret.[citation needed]

Electoral record[edit]

1908 Canadian federal election: Terrebonne
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Wilfrid Bruno Nantel 2,592 50.8 +2.7
Liberal Thibaudeau Rinfret 2,513 49.2 -2.7
Total valid votes 5,105 100.0

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Canada, Supreme Court of; Canada, Public Works and Government Services (November 1, 2000). The Supreme Court of Canada and its Justices 1875-2000: La Cour suprême du Canada et ses juges 1875-2000 (in French). Dundurn. ISBN 9781770700956.
  2. ^ "Rinfret, Fernand", by Benoit Langval, Dictionary of Canadian Biography, Vol. XVI (1931–1940).
  3. ^ Supreme Court Amendment Act, S.C. 1949 (2nd. session), c. 37, s. 3.

External links[edit]

Political offices
Preceded by Administrator of Canada
1952
Succeeded by