Brown, Russell (1965-…), served as a puisne << PYOO nee >> (associate) justice of the Supreme Court of Canada from 2015 to 2023. His areas of legal experience include commercial law, competition law, insurance law, medical negligence (carelessness), personal injury, and trusts and estates.
Brown was born on Sept. 15, 1965, in Vancouver, British Columbia. He grew up in the rural village of Burns Lake, British Columbia. Brown received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1987 from the University of British Columbia, and a Bachelor of Laws degree in 1994 from the University of Victoria. In 1988, he worked as an intern in the British Columbia legislature. Brown also received Master of Laws and Doctor of Juridical Science degrees in 2003 and 2006, respectively, from the University of Toronto. He was admitted to the Bar of British Columbia, the body of lawyers licensed to practice in that province, in 1995. He also was admitted to the Bar of Alberta in 2008.
From 1995 to 2013, Brown worked at several private law firms in Alberta and British Columbia. From 2004 to 2013, he taught at the University of Alberta law school. For two years, he also served as an associate dean. In 2013, Brown was appointed to the Court of Queen’s Bench (now the Court of King’s Bench) of Alberta. This court hears all cases involving murder, treason, and other major crimes. Before joining the court, Brown was on the advisory council of the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, a conservative legal organization.
In 2014, Brown was appointed as a judge on the courts of appeal of the province of Alberta, the Northwest Territories, and the territory of Nunavut. He was appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada on Aug. 31, 2015, and sworn in two days later. Brown was chosen for the Supreme Court by Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Brown resigned from the court in 2023.
Brown is the author or coauthor of many articles, book chapters, and essays on law. He has served on a number of committees of the Law Society of Alberta. He also has served as chair of the Health Law Institute of the University of Alberta; on the governing board of the Canadian Forum on Civil Justice; and on the Advisory Board to the Salvation Army in Edmonton, Alberta, and in Victoria, British Columbia.
