Patrick Kerwin

The Honourable Patrick Kerwin PC
Kerwin, c. 1954
10th Chief Justice of Canada
In office Template:En dash range
Nominated by	Louis St. Laurent
Preceded by	Thibaudeau Rinfret
Succeeded by	Robert Taschereau
Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada
In office Template:En dash range
Nominated by	Richard Bedford Bennett
Preceded by	Robert Smith/Frank Joseph Hughes
Succeeded by	Douglas Abbott
Personal details
Born	Sarnia, Ontario
Died
Alma mater	Sarnia Collegiate Institute, Osgoode Hall Law School

Patrick Kerwin PC (October 25, 1889 – February 2, 1963) was a Canadian judge who served as the tenth Chief Justice of Canada from 1954 to 1963 and as a puisne justice of the Supreme Court of Canada from 1935 to 1954.

Life and career

Patrick Grandcourt Kerwin was born in Sarnia, Ontario to Patrick Kerwin and Ellen Gavin. Kerwin attended Osgoode Hall Law School in 1908. He articled in Sarnia with R. V. Le Sueur. In 1911 Kerwin moved to Guelph, where he practiced law for over 21 years with Donald and Hugh Guthrie (Guthrie and Guthrie), later changed to Guthrie and Kerwin. During that time, he served as solicitor for the city of Guelph and Wellington County, as well as Crown prosecutor. In 1932, he was appointed to the High Court of Ontario.

Kerwin was involved in politics, and served as treasurer of the Conservative Party.

Supreme Court of Canada

On July 20, 1935, Prime Minister R.B. Bennett appointed Kerwin a puisne justice of the Supreme Court of Canada at the age of 45, filling the vacancy created by the resignation of Justice Frank Joseph Hughes on February 12, 1935. In 1954, after 19 years on the court, Kerwin was appointed as Chief Justice, replacing the retired Thibaudeau Rinfret, with the honorific "The Honourable".

Kerwin was considered an able judge and administrator. There was a minor controversy over him being Catholic, as Rinfret was also Catholic. Kerwin was deemed to be in poor health when appointed and there were rumours he would retire during his tenure but served 9 years. Five different puisne judges were appointed to the court during those years, an unusually high number.

Kerwin died on February 2, 1963, at the age of 73.

Further reading

• Balcome, Randall P. H.; McBride, Edward J.; Russell, Dawn A. (1990). Supreme Court of Canada Decision-making: The Benchmarks of Rand, Kerwin, and Martland. Carswell. ISBN 978-0-459-34283-8. OL 4550738W.
• Bushnell, Ian (1992). Captive Court: A Study of the Supreme Court of Canada. McGill-Queen's University Press. ISBN 978-0-7735-0851-4.
• McCormick, Peter (2000), Supreme at last: the evolution of the Supreme Court of Canada, J. Lorimer, ISBN 978-1-55028-693-9
• McKenna, Stephen G. (2017). Grace and wisdom: Patrick G. Kerwin, 1889-1963, Chief Justice of Canada. Ottawa: Petra Books. ISBN 978-1-927032-68-8.
• Snell, James G.; Vaughan, Frederick (1985). The Supreme Court of Canada: History of the Institution. Toronto: The Osgoode Society. ISBN 978-0-8020-3417-5.