Fitzpatrick, Sir Charles (1853-1942), served as chief justice of the Supreme Court of Canada from 1906 to 1918. He was the first Canadian chief justice appointed directly to that office, without serving first as a judge of the court.
Fitzpatrick was born and educated in Quebec. He gained recognition as a fine criminal lawyer and as a professor of criminal law at Laval University in Quebec. Fitzpatrick became a national figure in 1885, when he acted as chief defense counsel for Louis Riel, leader of the Northwest Rebellion of 1885. He also served as dominion minister of justice and lieutenant governor of Quebec.
