Louis-Philippe de Grandpré (February 6, 1917 – January 24, 2008) was a Canadian lawyer and puisne justice of the Supreme Court of Canada.
Family and early life
Louis-Philippe de Grandpré was born in Montreal, Quebec, to Roland de Grandpré and Aline Magnan. He was one of three brothers, all of whom became gifted, popular lawyers. His brother Jean de Grandpré became Chairman of Bell Canada, and his brother Pierre practised for more than 45 years.
De Grandpré received a classical education at Collège Sainte-Marie de Montréal, graduating in 1935. He then studied law at McGill University and received a Bachelor of Civil Law in 1938.
From 1972 to 1973, he was president of the Canadian Bar Association, where he took a position opposing state-controlled legal aid plans.
By October 1, 1977, de Grandpré resigned complaining of Chief Justice Bora Laskin's style of running the Court and the direction it was taking on many constitutional matters. In an interview near the end of his life, he said he found the work on the Court dead boring. and was seen as a mentor by many lawyers. In 1985, de Grandpré authored a report on judicial independence for the Canadian Bar Association.
Honours and distinctions
- 1971: Companion of the Order of Canada
- 1998: Grand Officer of the National Order of Quebec
- 2007: Emeritus Lawyer of the Bar of Quebec
Death
He died on January 24, 2008, in Saint-Lambert, leaving behind his wife, four children, eleven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren and a brother. The funeral service was held at Saint-Viateur d'Outremont and he was entombed at the Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery in Montreal. His wife died in 2012.
References
External links
- Supreme Court of Canada Biography: Louis-Philippe de Grandpré
- Obituary
- Globe and Mail obituary