Malcolm Archibald Macdonald

Malcolm Archibald Macdonald (June 20, 1875 – October 13, 1941) was a Canadian lawyer, politician and Chief Justice of British Columbia.

Malcolm Archibald Macdonald
Chief Justice of the British Columbia Court of Appeal
In office
May 1940 – October 13, 1941
Justice of the British Columbia Court of Appeal
In office
1924 – May 1940
Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
In office
1916–1921
ConstituencyVancouver City
Personal details
Born(1875-06-20)June 20, 1875
Ashfield Township, Ontario
DiedOctober 13, 1941(1941-10-13) (aged 66)
Vancouver, British Columbia
Resting placeMountain View Cemetery
Political partyLiberal
Spouses
Lena Baird
(m. 1910; died 1913)
Ida Williams
(m. 1916)
ChildrenAlex Macdonald
EducationOsgoode Hall Law School
OccupationJurist, politician

Biography

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Malcolm Archibald Macdonald was born in Ashfield Township on June 20, 1875.[1] He graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1909 and began the practice of law in London, Ontario. He moved to Cranbrook, British Columbia where he ran for the Liberal Party unsuccessfully in 1909. He moved again to Vancouver in 1912 where he was elected in 1916. He served as the Attorney General of British Columbia from November 29, 1916 to May 14, 1917. He was re-elected in 1920 but resigned in 1921 to run federally (without success), after which he resumed private practice.[1] He was appointed to the British Columbia Court of Appeal in May 1924. He was appointed Chief Justice of British Columbia in May 1940 and died at his home in Vancouver on October 13, 1941. He was buried in Mountain View Cemetery.[2]

Personal life

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He married Lena Baird on October 26, 1910. They had one son together. She died on August 11, 1913. He then remarried, to Ida Williams, on January 1, 1916.[1]

His son James Macdonald also served on the Court of Appeal from 1979 and his son Alex Macdonald was Attorney General from 1972 to 1975.[3]

1921 Canadian federal election: Burrard
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Arthur Clark 12,240 55.89
Liberal Malcolm Archibald Macdonald 6,960 31.78 +7.03
Independent John David Harrington 2,699 12.32
Total valid votes 21,899 100.0  
Conservative gain from Government (Liberal–Unionist) Swing +24.43

References

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  1. ^ a b c Parker, Charles Whately; Greene, Barnet M., eds. (1922). Who's Who in Canada, Volume 16. International Press. p. 1010. Retrieved July 18, 2020 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ "Chief Justice Macdonald Dead at 66". Vancouver Sun. October 14, 1941. p. 17. Retrieved July 18, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Macdonald, James A. (January 2010), "Malcolm A. Macdonald, K.C.", The Advocate, 68 (January 2010), Vancouver: Vancouver Bar Association: 66–70, ISSN 0044-6416