Mary John Batten (née Fodchuk; August 30, 1921 – October 9, 2015[1]) was a Canadian lawyer, judge and political figure in Saskatchewan. Batten represented Humboldt from 1956 to 1964 in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan as a Liberal.[2][1] She was the first woman of Ukrainian origin to be elected to a Canadian provincial parliament[3] in [1]
Mary John Batten | |
|---|---|
| Assembly Member for Humboldt | |
| In office 1956[1]–1964[1] | |
| Preceded by | Joseph William Burton |
| Succeeded by | Mathieu Breker |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Mary John Fodchuk August 30, 1921[1] Sifton, Manitoba[1] |
| Died | October 9, 2015 (aged 94) |
| Political party | Saskatchewan Liberal Party |
| Spouse | M. Charles R. Batten |
| Children | Dick, Justine, Trish, and Jyll |
| Alma mater | University of Saskatchewan (Bachelor of Arts 1941; Bachelor of Law 1942)[1] |
Biography
editBatten was born Mary John Fodchuk in 1921 in Sifton, Manitoba,[2] and educated in Calder, Saskatchewan, Ituna and Regina to study at the University of Saskatchewan. She articled with Diefenbaker and Cuelenaere in Prince Albert to be called to the Saskatchewan bar in 1945, later moving to Humboldt.[2] She married M. Charles R. Batten, also a lawyer,[4] and joined Batten, Fodchuk, and Batten as a partner in Wadena and Humboldt in 1964.[1] After leaving politics in 1964, Batten served as the chairperson between 1966 and 1968 firstly at the Prairie Provinces Cost Study Commission, then at the Public Accountancy Commission,[1] to be named the Saskatchewan District Court or the Court of Queen's Bench for Saskatchewan in 1980.[1]
On June 30, 1983, Batten was appointed the first female chief justice to hold that appointment until her retirement[1] in 1990.[2]
Batten died in October 2015 at the age of 94.[1] Batten was survived by four children.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n D'Autremont, Dan, Hon. (2015-11-23). "Mary John Batten : Debates and Proceedings" (PDF). Saskatchewan Hansard. 57 (87A (N.S.)). Government of Saskatchewan: 7766–7768, 7703 (pp22-24, 29). Archived from the original (pdf) on 2023-04-18. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
The Speaker: — The motion before the Assembly is: That this Assembly records with sorrow and regret the passing of a former member of this Assembly and expresses its grateful appreciation of the contribution she made to her community, her constituency, and to the province. [line break] Mary John Batten, who passed away on October 9, 2015, was a member of this Legislative Assembly from 1956 until 1964, representing the constituency of Humboldt for the Liberal Party.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b c d "Batten, Mary John (1921–)". Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan. Retrieved 2012-06-30.
- ^ "Combined Virtues - Saskatchewan's Ukrainian Legacy". University of Saskatchewan. Retrieved 2012-06-30.
- ^ "Judge Mary Batten". Star-Phoenix. Saskatoon. June 2, 1964. p. 11. Retrieved 2012-06-30.
 | This article about a Saskatchewan politician is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |