William Stevenson | |
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Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada | |
In office September 17, 1990 – June 5, 1992 |
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Nominated by | Brian Mulroney |
Preceded by | Antonio Lamer |
Succeeded by | John C. Major |
Justice of the Court of Appeal of Alberta | |
In office 1980–1990 |
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Nominated by | Pierre Trudeau |
Justice of the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta | |
In office 1979–1980 |
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Nominated by | Pierre Trudeau |
Judge of the District Court of Alberta | |
In office 1975–1979 |
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Nominated by | Pierre Trudeau |
Personal details | |
Born |
Edmonton, Alberta |
May 7, 1934
Alma mater | University of Alberta |
Profession | Lawyer |
William Alexander Stevenson, OC (born May 7, 1934) was a Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada from 1990 to 1992.
Stevenson was born in Edmonton, Alberta to Alexander Lindsay Stevenson and Eileen Harriet Burns. In 1956, he graduated from the University of Alberta with a B.A., and then an LL.B. in 1957. While at university, he helped found the Alberta Law Review and served as its first Editor in Chief. Upon graduation, he received the Horace Harvey Gold Medal in Law.
He worked at the firm of Morrow, Morrow & Reynolds (subsequently Morrow, Reynolds and Stevenson, now Reynolds, Mirth, Richards & Farmer LLP) in Edmonton until 1968.
In 1963, he became a teacher at the University of Alberta, serving as a full-time professor from 1968 until 1970 when he returned to his firm. In 1975, he was the first Chairman of the Legal Education Society of Alberta.
In 1975, he was appointed to the District Court of Alberta and then to the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta in 1979. The following year he was appointed to the Court of Appeal of Alberta where he stayed for over ten years. He has also served on the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories from 1976–1980, the Court of Appeal for the Northwest Territories from 1980–1990, and the Supreme Court of the Yukon Territory from 1978-1983. He also was a founder of the Canadian Judicial Centre in the late 1980s, and is seen as a pioneer of continuing education for Canadian judges.
On September 17, 1990, he was appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada, however, he retired only two years later on June 5, 1992 for health reasons. Between October 1990 and April 1992 he published a total of 21 reasons for judgment.