Samuel Henry Strong
Samuel Henry Strong | |
|---|---|
Strong in October 1895 | |
| 3rd Chief Justice of Canada | |
| In office December 13, 1892 – November 18, 1902 | |
| Nominated by | John Thompson |
| Preceded by | William Johnstone Ritchie |
| Succeeded by | Henri Elzéar Taschereau |
| Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada | |
| In office September 30, 1875 – December 13, 1892 | |
| Nominated by | Alexander Mackenzie |
| Preceded by | None (new position) |
| Succeeded by | Robert Sedgewick |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 13, 1825 Poole, Dorset, England |
| Died | August 31, 1909 (aged 84) Ottawa, Ontario |
| Resting place | Beechwood Cemetery, Ottawa |
| Spouse | Elizabeth Charlotte Cane |
Samuel Henry Strong PC (August 13, 1825 – August 31, 1909) was an English–Canadian lawyer and judge who served as the third Chief Justice of Canada from 1892 to 1902. He was among the original six justices appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada when it was established in 1875.
Born in Poole, England, Strong immigrated to Upper Canada with his family in 1836. He was called to the bar in 1849, and practiced primarily in Toronto where he gained distinction as an expert in the law of equity. A legal adviser to Prime Minister John A. Macdonald, Strong was responsible for drafting the first legislative proposal to establish a national supreme court. He was appointed to the bench in 1869, and later the Ontario Court of Error and Appeal in 1874, before his appointment to the Supreme Court of Canada in 1875.
As a member of the Supreme Court, Strong was known for his deep legal knowledge and analytical skill, but also for his abrasive personality that created internal divisions between justices of the Court. Strong's period as Chief Justice was marked with inter-personal conflict, poor quality judicial decision-making, and supremacy of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in defining Canada's constitution.