John C. Major
Major John C
Introduction to John C. Major
John C. Major, born in 1931, Canadian jurist and puisne (associate) justice of the Supreme Court of Canada (1992-2005). He was born in Mattawa, Ontario. Major received his bachelor's degree in 1953 from Loyola College (now Concordia University) in Montréal, Québec, and his law degree in 1957 from the University of Toronto. Major practiced law in Calgary, Alberta, from 1958 until 1991 and served as counsel during that time to several major government commissions and inquiries. He was appointed to the Court of Appeal of Alberta in 1991. Prime Minister Brian Mulroney named Major to the Supreme Court in November 1992.
Major was a reliable, low-profile member of the group headed by Chief Justice Antonio Lamer (served 1990-2000) that generally prevailed on the Lamer Court. However, he dissented in major cases such as R. v. Daviault (1994), which allowed defendants to claim excessive drunkenness as a defense against criminal charges. He also disagreed with the court's majority in Miron v. Trudel (1995), which found that treating unmarried, common-law couples differently from married couples was a violation of equality rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
One of Major's most significant decisions was Hy and Zel's v. Ontario (1993), which narrowed the range of parties that could bring public interest issues before the court. He also wrote for a unanimous court in Stewart v. Pettie (1995), a ruling that dramatically extended the responsibilities of restaurants and bars regarding the consumption of alcohol by patrons. Major retired from the court in December 2005.” (1)