The Honourable
Gerald M. Morin
OC KC
Provincial Court of Saskatchewan Judge
In office
January 24, 2001 – February 2019
Cree Court Judge
In office
October 2001[1] – February 2019[note 1]
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byMary McAuley[3]
Territorial Court of the Northwest Territories Deputy Judge
In office
2006[2] or 2008[4] – February 2019[note 1]
Territorial Court of Yukon Deputy Judge
In office
2016 – February 2019[note 1]
Personal details
Born1953 or 1954 (age 69–70)
Cumberland House, Saskatchewan, Canada
Children1
Alma mater

Gerald "Gerry" M. Morin OC KC (born 1953 or 1954 in Cumberland House, Saskatchewan) is a Canadian judge.[4] He is a member of the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation.[5]

Early life and education

Morin was born in 1953 or 1954[3] in Cumberland House, Saskatchewan.[5] He attended Charlebois School in Cumberland House until grade 10, then completed high school at L.P. Miller Comprehensive School in Nipawin, Saskatchewan, in 1971.[6]

He obtained a certificate in social work from Saskatchewan Polytechnic (then the Kelsey Institute of Applied Arts and Sciences) in 1973.[4] He obtained another certificate in social work in 1978 from the University of Regina, and in 1979 earned a Bachelor of Social Work from the same institution.[6] He enrolled at the University of Saskatchewan in 1984[7] and graduated with a Bachelor of Laws and Juris Doctor in 1987.[8][4]

Career

Morin started working as a probation officer in 1973.[5] He was an assistant professor at the University of Manitoba School of Social Work, where he taught community development, and where he served as the Director of the Indian Child and Family Services Training Program from 1982 to 1984.[8] After graduating from law school in 1987, he practised law in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan[6] and he was a sessional instructor at the Gabriel Dumont Institute's Native Justice Program.[8] He has served as a member and president of the board of the Prince Albert Indian and Métis Friendship Centre.[8] In 1999, he was the first Indigenous person in Saskatchewan's history to receive a Queen's Counsel designation.[6]

On January 24, 2001, he was the first Cree-speaking person to be appointed as a judge to the Provincial Court of Saskatchewan for Prince Albert, where he helped set up the Cree Court Circuit.[3][6][8][9] As a judge, he sat in Indigenous communities such as Pelican Narrows,[4] Sandy Bay First Nation, Whitefish Lake First Nation, and Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation,[5] at times addressing defendants in Cree.[10] In 2012, he initiated the Wunusweh Centennial Lecture in Aboriginal Law,[note 2] an annual lecture series at the University of Saskatchewan's College of Law.[4][11]

He has also served as a Deputy Judge in the Territorial Court of the Northwest Territories (appointed in 2006[2] or 2008[4]) and the Territorial Court of Yukon (appointed in 2016).[4]

He retired in 2019,[3] but continues his judicial duties in all three jurisdictions.[2]

In December 2022, he was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Canada,[12] "[f]or his groundbreaking contributions to the Cree Court Circuit, and for his mentorship of the next generation of lawyers and judges."[13][14]

Personal life

Morin speaks three dialects of Cree.[4] He enjoys golf, cross-country skiing, and fishing,[2] and has served as a member of the board of directors for the Prince Albert Raiders.[8] He has one son.[4]

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 He has been continuing his judicial duties despite retiring in February 2019.[2]
  2. ↑ In Cree, Wunusweh means 'to make things right' or 'to make law'.[4]

References

  1. ↑ Skakun, Kimberly. "Northern Cree Court Initiative". University of Saskatchewan. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Biographies". Law Society of the Northwest Territories. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Allen, Bonnie (February 24, 2019). "Saskatchewan's first Cree-speaking judge reflects on legacy of Cree court as he retires". CBC News. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Schlosser, Leslie-Ann (February 7, 2019). "Judge Morin: Legacy of leadership". University of Saskatchewan. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "McKercher LLP Lecture Series Presents: The Hon. Gerald M. Morin, OC, KC, former Provincial Court SK Judge". University of Saskatchewan. February 13, 2023. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "Honourable Gerald Morin". Wîcihitowin Indigenous Engagement Conference. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  7. ↑ Sutherland, Bailey (January 10, 2023). "Order of Canada nomination leaves P.A. judge at a loss for words". Prince Albert: SaskToday. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 McEwen, Debi (January 26, 2001). "New Judge for Prince Albert" (Press release). Government of Saskatchewan. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Appointment of New Judge for Prince Albert" (PDF). Bencher's Digest. Regina: Law Society of Saskatchewan. 14 (1). March 2001. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  10. ↑ MacPherson, Alex (December 6, 2018). "'He had the ability to make people feel comfortable': Indigenous judge responsible for Cree court retiring after 17 years on the bench". The StarPhoenix. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  11. ↑ Anand, Sanjeev (Spring–Summer 2012). Trefiak, Sarah (ed.). "Dean's Message" (PDF). of NOTE. No. Spring–Summer 2012. University of Saskatchewan College of Law. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  12. ↑ "Prince Albert judge appointed Officer of the Order of Canada". Prince Albert Daily Herald. December 29, 2022. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Order of Canada appointees – December 2022". Governor General of Canada. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  14. ↑ "Two Saskatoon residents appointed to the Order of Canada". CTV News Saskatoon. December 30, 2022 [Originally published December 29, 2022]. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
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