|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Memorable Manitobans: Queen’s Counsels / King’s CounselsThe appointment of a lawyer as a Queen’s Counsel (or a King’s Counsel depending on the gender of the reigning monarch) was an honour recognizing exceptional professional ability in Manitoba’s legal profession. Recipients append the letters QC or KC after their name, and are permitted to wear unique silk robes in court and to speak first during legal proceedings. Manitoba's first Queen’s Counsel was Frederick McKenzie, appointed in 1884. Starting in 1909, the practice of appointing Counsels in Manitoba occurred annually, usually with announcements around New Years Day. The total number of lawyers holding QC/KC designation was fixed so the number of appointments made at any one time was determined by how many recipients had died or been elevated to the judicial bench in the preceding year. No appointments were made in 1973 because, according to NDP Attorney-General Alvin Mackling, they “had become meaningless because of the method by which they were made.” Despite these reservations, the provincial government resumed making appointments in 1975. (The federal government was also capable of making appointments.) It stopped again in 1987 pending a study into the usefulness of the designation, then resumed under a new government in 1989. In early 2001, the Manitoba provincial government announced that it would discontinue the practice of awarding the designations and would turn over responsibility for them to a group of Chief Justices and the Law Society of Manitoba, with a change in terminology to Senior Counsel. However, the change was never implemented and QCs are no longer awarded. Existing designations remain in effect. In March 2018, the provincial government introduced legislation to reinstate the title of Queen’s Counsel. The following is a partial list of Manitoba lawyers who have been given the QC/KC honour, and the year in which they were appointed. Surname begins: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
Sources:“City and general,” Manitoba Free Press, 19 June 1914, page 22. “Four Winnipeg lawyers get K.C.,” Manitoba Free Press, 11 December 1914, page 12. “Nine new K.C.’s,” Manitoba Free Press, 24 May 1916, page 5. “Govt. names ten King’s Counsel,” Winnipeg Tribune, 24 December 1927, page 1. “Appointments made of ten King’s Counsel,” Winnipeg Free Press, 1 January 1929, page 14. “11 Manitoba barristers named K.C.’s,” Winnipeg Tribune, 1 January 1930, page 1. “Five lawyers named King’s counsellors in province honors list,” Winnipeg Free Press, 1 January 1937, page 3. “Seven get K.C. honor,” Winnipeg Free Press, 2 January 1939, page 1. “Three King’s Counsel for Manitoba named,” Winnipeg Free Press, 1 January 1940, page 3. “Seven members of Manitoba Bar are appointed King’s Counsel,” Winnipeg Free Press, 1 January 1941, page 5. “Twelve Manitoba Bar members are appointed King’s Counsel,” Winnipeg Free Press, 1 January 1942, page 4. “Eight Manitobans appointed K.C.’s,” Winnipeg Free Press, 1 January 1943, page 8. “Nine new K.C.’s appointed,” Winnipeg Tribune, 1 January 1944, page 13. “4 new K.C.’s named in New Year’s list,” Winnipeg Tribune, 31 December 1945, page 2. “Eight Manitoba King’s Counsel announced in New Year’s list,” Winnipeg Free Press, 1 January 1951, page 1. “6 are appointed King’s Counsel,” Winnipeg Free Press, 1 January 1952, page 1. “Prominent Conservative heads QC list,” Winnipeg Tribune, 31 December 1954, page 7. “Pioneer woman lawyer heads list of nine Manitoba QCs,” Winnipeg Free Press, 31 December 1955, page 15. “10 new Queen’s Counsel named for Manitoba,” Winnipeg Free Press, 1 January 1957, page 1. “13 new QCs are named,” Winnipeg Free Press, 31 December 1957, page 1. “6 barristers, magistrates appointed Queen’s Counsel,” Winnipeg Free Press, 1 January 1959, page 12. “Nine Manitoba lawyers named Queen’s counsel,” Winnipeg Free Press, 1 January 1960, page 32. “Ten Manitobans on honors list,” Winnipeg Free Press, 31 December 1960, page 1. “Churchill one of nine QCs appointed for the New Year,” Winnipeg Tribune, 1 January 1962, page 13. “Province names ten lawyers Queen’s counsels,” Winnipeg Tribune, 31 December 1962, page 13. “10 Manitoba lawyers on New Year’s list,” Winnipeg Free Press, 1 January 1965, page 6. “12 men named Queen’s Counsel,” Winnipeg Free Press, 31 December 1966, page 4. “Seven Manitoba lawyers named Queen’s Counsel,” Winnipeg Free Press, 1 January 1968, page 5. “New QCs include Zuken, two women,” Winnipeg Free Press, 1 January 1971, page 9. “Govt. awards 13 QCs, one is posthumous honor,” Winnipeg Free Press, 1 January 1972, page 2. “No QCs named for ‘73,” Winnipeg Free Press, 29 December 1972, page 1. “Manitoba names 9 new QCs,” Winnipeg Free Press, 1 January 1975, page 43. “Asper among 10 new Manitoba QCs,” Winnipeg Free Press, 31 December 1975, page 40. “Attorney-General Pawley appoints 8 Manitoba lawyers as Queen’s Counsel,” Winnipeg Free Press, 31 December 1976, page 5. “12 lawyers receive QC titles,” Winnipeg Free Press, 31 December 1977, page 160. “Ten Manitoba lawyers elevated to Queen’s Counsel in honors list,” Winnipeg Free Press, 30 December 1978, page 2. “Nine lawyers in province appointed QC,” Winnipeg Free Press, 31 December 1979, page 4. “Mercier names 11 male QCs; women’s group disappointed,” Winnipeg Free Press, 2 January 1981, page 2. “Two women lawyers among 13 appointed as Queen’s Counsel,” Winnipeg Free Press, 31 December 1981, page 2. “QC list shuts out women,” Winnipeg Free Press, 31 December 1982, page 5. “Province names Corrin, 12 other lawyers Queen’s counsel,” Winnipeg Free Press, 31 December 1983, page 6. “Schroeder among nine named QC,” Winnipeg Free Press, 29 December 1984, page 10. “Fourteen are appointed Queen’s Counsel,” Swan Valley Star and Times, 23 January 1986, page 12. “Legal title held over for study,” Winnipeg Free Press, 5 January 1988, page 10. “Conservatives name Queen’s counsels,” Winnipeg Free Press, 31 December 1988, page 5. “Numbers tarnish Queen’s Counsel title, Liberals say,” Winnipeg Free Press, 30 December 1989, page 5. “Inquiry counsel appointed QC,” Winnipeg Free Press, 31 December 1990, page 20. “Woman just happy to get QC title,” Winnipeg Free Press, 2 January 1994, page 4. “Ten lawyers named Queen’s Counsel,” Winnipeg Free Press, 2 January 1995, page 11. “Justice minister appoints 12 new Queen’s counsel,” Winnipeg Free Press, 2 January 1999, page 7. “NDP irks lawyers by ending QC designation,” Winnipeg Free Press, 10 January 2001, page 7. “New legislation would reinstate Queen’s Counsel in Manitoba,” Manitoba News Release, 19 March 2018. “The Honourable Eleanor R. Dawson,” Federal Court of Appeal. “Fifteen Manitoba lawyers appointed as Queen's Counsel,” Manitoba News Release, 4 June 2019. Obituary [Eric William Olson], Winnipeg Free Press, 11 April 2020. “Province appoints eleven Manitoba lawyers to Queen's Counsel for 2021,” Manitoba News Release, 25 January 2022. “Manitoba government appoints Manitoba lawyers as King's Counsel,” Manitoba News Release, 1 January 2023. Obituary [Alvin Ronald McGregor], Winnipeg Free Press, 15 July 2023. We thank Nathan Kramer, Ian Stewart, and Clifford Proudfoot for providing additional information used here. This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough. Page revised: 17 September 2023 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|