First B.C. Indigenous Chief Justice for Court of Appeals – Canada (Turtle Island) 1

Leonard Marchand, the son of former cabinet minister Len Marchand, continually fought for Indigenous rights, was appointed by Chief Justice by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Marchand — who is Syilx and a member of the Okanagan Indian Band — was also appointed chief justice of the Court of Appeal of Yukon.

During his career he fought fight for  residential school survivors and help negotiate the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement in 2005. He also served on the selection committee for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

He has spent time with people who have been traumatized, had much loss in their lives and people who struggled with substance abuse, spente disorder and mental health issues.

“Having had all those experiences really enhances the way that I try to make my decisions and dispense justice in a good way.”

The Chief Justice of B.C. heads the Court of Appeal, the highest appellate court in the province, and also serves on the Canadian Judicial Council, which oversees the administration of justice across all of Canada’s superior courts.

Before his appointment as a judge, Marchand practised law in Kamloops, B.C., and is a frequent speaker at the city’s Thompson Rivers University (TRU).

Bradford Morse, a TRU law professor, said Marchand was following his father’s footsteps as a trailblazer in the realm of Indigenous rights.

(CBC & Intertribal Life)

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