View source for Charles Fitzpatrick

{{Short description|20th-century Chief Justice of Canada and Lieutenant Governor of Quebec}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=September 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix    = [[The Right Honourable]]
| name                = Sir Charles Fitzpatrick
| honorific-suffix    = {{postnominals|country=CAN|size=100%|PC|GCMG}}
| image               = Charles Fitzpatrick.jpg
| imagesize           = 
| caption             = 
| office              = 5th [[Chief Justice of Canada]]
| termstart           = June 4, 1906
| termend             = October 21, 1918
| nominator           = [[Wilfrid Laurier]]
| appointer           = 
| predecessor         = [[Henri Elzéar Taschereau]]
| successor           = [[Louis Henry Davies]]
| office2             = 12th [[Lieutenant Governor of Quebec]]
| termstart2          = October 23, 1918
| termend2            = October 31, 1923
| predecessor2        = [[Pierre-Évariste Leblanc]]
| successor2          = [[Louis-Philippe Brodeur]]
| monarch2            = [[George V]]
| governor_general2   = [[Victor Cavendish, 9th Duke of Devonshire|The Duke of Devonshire]]<br />[[Julian Byng, 1st Viscount Byng of Vimy|The Lord Byng of Vimy]]
| premier2            = [[Lomer Gouin]]<br />[[Louis-Alexandre Taschereau]]
| office3             = [[House of Commons of Canada|MP]] for [[Quebec County (federal electoral district)|Quebec County]]
| termstart3          = August 19, 1896
| termend3            = June 3, 1906
| predecessor3        = [[Jules Joseph Taschereau Frémont]]
| successor3          = [[Lorenzo Robitaille]]
| office4             = [[Minister of Justice (Canada)|Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]]
| termstart4          = February 11, 1902
| termend4            = June 3, 1906
| predecessor4        = [[David Mills (Canadian politician)|David Mills]]
| successor4          = [[Allen Bristol Aylesworth]]
| office5             = [[Solicitor General of Canada]]
| termstart5          = July 13, 1896
| termend5            = February 9, 1902
| predecessor5        = [[Charles Hibbert Tupper]]
| successor5          = [[Henry George Carroll]]
| office6             = [[Legislative Assembly of Quebec|MLA]] for [[Québec-Comté (provincial electoral district)|Québec-Comté]]
| termstart6          = June 17, 1890
| termend6            = June 11, 1896
| predecessor6        = [[Thomas Chase-Casgrain]]
| successor6          = [[Némèse Garneau]]
| party               = [[Quebec Liberal Party]] (1890–1896)<br />[[Liberal Party of Canada]] (1896–1906)
| birth_date          = {{Birth date|1851|12|19}}
| birth_place         = [[Quebec City]], [[Canada East]]
| death_date          = {{death date and age|1942|06|17|1851|12|19}}
| death_place         = Quebec City, Quebec
| resting_place       = Cimetière Saint-Michel de [[Sillery, Quebec City|Sillery]]
| spouse              = 
}}

'''Sir Charles Fitzpatrick''', {{postnominals|country=CAN|PC|GCMG|sep=,|size=100}} (December 19, 1851 – June 17, 1942) was a [[Canadians|Canadian]] lawyer and politician who served as [[Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada|Minister of Justice of Canada]], as [[Chief Justice of Canada]] and then as [[Lieutenant Governor of Quebec]].

== Early life ==
Fitzpatrick was born in [[Quebec City]], [[Canada East]], to John Fitzpatrick and Mary Connolly.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last1=Canada|first1=Supreme Court of|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s8QhYNvBBxYC&q=charles+fitzpatrick+Fitzpatrick+&pg=PA116|title=The Supreme Court of Canada and its Justices 1875–2000: La Cour suprême du Canada et ses juges 1875–2000|last2=Canada|first2=Public Works and Government Services|date=2000-11-01|publisher=Dundurn|isbn=978-1-77070-095-6|pages=48|language=en}}</ref> He studied at [[Laval University]], where he earned a [[Bachelor of Arts]] degree (1873) and a [[Bachelor of Laws]] degree (1876), receiving the [[Dufferin Medal|Dufferin Silver Medal]].<ref name="History of Dufferin in CA 1878">''[http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=yale.39002005155768;view=1up;seq=11 History of the Administration of the Earl of Dufferin in Canada],'' by [[William Leggo]], Toronto: Lovell Printing and Publishing Company (1878), pg. 877</ref> Called to the [[Barreau du Québec|bar of Quebec]] in 1876, he established his practice in Quebec City and later founded the law firm of Fitzpatrick & Taschereau.<ref name=":0" />

[[Image:Charles Fitzpatrick 2.jpg|thumb|left|Fitzpatrick as an MP]]
In 1885, he acted as chief counsel to [[Louis Riel]], who was on trial for leading the [[North-West Rebellion]]. Riel was found guilty and sentenced to death.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Supreme Court of Canada – Biography – Charles Fitzpatrick|url=https://www.scc-csc.ca/judges-juges/bio-eng.aspx?id=charles-fitzpatrick|last=Canada|first=Supreme Court of|date=2001-01-01|website=www.scc-csc.ca|access-date=2020-05-29}}</ref>

== Political life ==

Fitzpatrick entered politics in [[1890 Quebec general election|1890]], winning election to the [[Quebec Legislative Assembly]] in the [[Québec-Comté (provincial electoral district)|Québec-Comté]] electoral district. He was re-elected in [[1892 Quebec general election|1892]], but he resigned in June 1896 to enter federal politics.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Charles Fitzpatrick - National Assembly of Québec |url=https://www.assnat.qc.ca/en/deputes/fitzpatrick-charles-3165/biographie.html |access-date=2025-06-29 |website=www.assnat.qc.ca |language=en}}</ref>

He was first elected to the [[House of Commons of Canada]] in the [[Quebec County (federal electoral district)|Quebec County]] electoral district in the [[1896 Canadian federal election|1896 federal election]] as a [[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]] [[Member of Parliament (Canada)|Member of Parliament]] (MP). He served as [[Solicitor General of Canada]] from 1896 to 1902, and as [[Minister of Justice (Canada)|Minister of Justice]] from 1902 until 1906.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> In 1905, he took part, as the federal government representative, in the negotiations that led to the creation of the provinces of [[Alberta]] and [[Saskatchewan]].

== Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada ==

He was appointed to the [[Supreme Court of Canada]] in 1906 as [[Chief Justice of Canada|Chief Justice]]. He served in that position until 1918, when he was appointed as [[Lieutenant Governor of Quebec]], the [[List of lieutenant governors of Quebec#Lieutenant governors of Quebec, 1867–present|12th]] since Confederation. Partway through his term as Lieutenant Governor, his wife's nephew ([[Louis-Alexandre Taschereau]]) became the [[Premier of Quebec]].

Fitzpatrick continued to participate in politics on the bench, giving private political advice to active politicians.{{sfn|Snell|Vaughan|1985|p=94}} Fitzpatrick lobbied the government to appoint Judge Cannon of Quebec to the Court upon the death of Justice [[Robert Sedgewick (judge)|Robert Sedgewick]].{{sfn|Snell|Vaughan|1985|p=94}} Fitzpatrick had a personal debt to Prime Minister [[Wilfrid Laurier]] of $5,000.{{sfn|Snell|Vaughan|1985|p=94}} Fitzpatrick did not only provide political advice to the Liberal government, but also recommended Senate appointments, legislation and provided political advice on issues in Quebec to the [[Robert Borden|Borden]] government.{{sfn|Snell|Vaughan|1985|p=94}} Snell and Vaughn note that Fitzpatrick acted as Prime Minister Borden's personal agent to the [[Conservative Party of Quebec (historical)|Quebec Conservative Party]].{{sfn|Snell|Vaughan|1985|p=94}}

He is the only Chief Justice other than Sir [[William Buell Richards]] to have served in that position without having first been a [[Puisne Justice]] on the court (Richards was Chief Justice at the court's creation in 1875), and the only Chief Justice to have been appointed without any prior judicial experience.{{citation needed|date=September 2019}}

== Personal life ==
On May 20, 1879, Fitzpatrick married Marie-Elmire-Corinne Caron. She was the daughter of [[René-Édouard Caron]], 2nd Lieutenant Governor of Quebec, and his wife Marie-Joséphine De Blois.

He was knighted in 1907. Fitzpatrick died on June 17, 1942, at the age of 90 years and 6 months. He is interred in [[Sillery, Quebec City|Sillery]], at Saint-Michel Cemetery ([[:c:Category:Cimetière Saint-Michel de Sillery|cimetière Saint-Michel de Sillery]]).<ref name="BG_Saint-Michel">{{Cite web|url=https://billiongraves.com/grave/Charles-Fitzpatrick/24076624|title=Sir Charles Fitzpatrick P.C.G.C.M.G. 1851—1942: BillionGraves Record|website=BillionGraves.com|language=en|access-date=2019-03-04}}</ref>

== Electoral record ==
{{1896 Canadian federal election/Quebec County}}

By-election: On Mr. Fitzpatrick being appointed Solicitor General, 11 July 1896

{{CanElec1-by|30 July 1896}}
{{CANelec|CA|Liberal|Charles Fitzpatrick|acclaimed}}
{{end}}
{{1900 Canadian federal election/Quebec County}}
{{1904 Canadian federal election/Quebec County}}

== Archives ==
There is a Charles Fitzpatrick [[fonds]] at [[Library and Archives Canada]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Charles Fitzpatrick fonds, Library and Archives Canada|date = 20 July 2017|url=http://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.redirect?app=fonandcol&id=98965&lang=eng|access-date=2020-09-03}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist|refs=}}

== Further reading ==
{{refbegin}}
* {{Cite book|title = Captive Court: A Study of the Supreme Court of Canada|last = Bushnell|first = Ian|publisher = McGill-Queen's University Press|year = 1992|isbn = 978-0-7735-0851-4 |url=https://archive.org/details/captivecourtstud0000bush |url-access=registration}}
* {{Cite book|title = The Supreme Court of Canada: History of the Institution|last1 = Snell|first1 = James G. |last2 = Vaughan|first2 = Frederick |publisher = The Osgoode Society|year = 1985|isbn = 978-0-8020-3417-5 |location = Toronto|url = https://archive.org/details/supremecourtofca0000snel|url-access = registration}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [https://www.scc-csc.ca/judges-juges/bio-eng.aspx?id=charles-fitzpatrick Supreme Court of Canada biography]
* {{Quebec MNA biography|fitzpatrick-charles-3165}}
* {{Canadian Parliament links|ID=17}}
* {{Cite NSRW|wstitle=Fitzpatrick, Hon. Sir Charles}}
* [https://www.pc.gc.ca/apps/dfhd/page_nhs_eng.aspx?id=1732 Fitzpatrick, Sir Charles National Historic Person] — [[Parks Canada]]
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=jFYMAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA201 ''The Newspaper Reference Book of Canada: Embracing Facts and Data Regarding Canada and Biographical Sketches of Representative Canadian Men'']. Hon. Charles Fitzpatrick, B.A., {{postnominals|country=CAN|KC}}. Toronto: The Press Publishing Company, Limited (1903), p.&nbsp;201
* [https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/confederation/023001-4000.27-e.html Sir Charles Fitzpatrick], ''Canadian Confederation ''— [[Library and Archives Canada]] (2005)
* [https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/sir-charles-fitzpatrick Sir Charles Fitzpatrick] — ''[[The Canadian Encyclopedia]]'' (2013)

{{QCLG}}
{{CanadaCJs}}
{{Fitzpatrick-court}}
{{CA-Ministers of Justice and Attorneys General}}
{{CA-Solicitors General of Canada}}
{{Trial of Louis Riel}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fitzpatrick, Charles}}
[[Category:1851 births]]
[[Category:1942 deaths]]
[[Category:Anglophone Quebec people]]
[[Category:Canadian Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George]]
[[Category:Canadian Roman Catholics]]
[[Category:Chief justices of Canada]]
[[Category:Lawyers in Quebec]]
[[Category:Liberal Party of Canada MPs]]
[[Category:Lieutenant governors of Quebec]]
[[Category:Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Quebec]]
[[Category:Members of the King's Privy Council for Canada]]
[[Category:Members of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council]]
[[Category:Persons of National Historic Significance (Canada)]]
[[Category:Politicians from Quebec City]]
[[Category:Quebec Liberal Party MNAs]]
[[Category:Quebec people of Irish descent]]
[[Category:Solicitors general of Canada]]
[[Category:Université Laval alumni]]
[[Category:Université Laval Faculté de droit alumni]]
[[Category:Canadian members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Academic staff of Université Laval]]
[[Category:19th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Quebec]]
[[Category:19th-century members of the House of Commons of Canada]]
[[Category:20th-century members of the House of Commons of Canada]]