Edmund Leslie Newcombe, (February 17, 1859 – December 9, 1931) was a
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source o ...
lawyer, civil servant, and
Puisne Justice
A puisne judge or puisne justice (; from french: puisné or ; , 'since, later' + , 'born', i.e. 'junior') is a dated term for an ordinary judge or a judge of lesser rank of a particular court. Use
The term is used almost exclusively in common law ...
of the
Supreme Court of Canada.
Early life
Born in
Cornwallis, Nova Scotia
Cornwallis Park is a rural community in Annapolis County, Nova Scotia, Canada. As of the 2021 census, the population was 488, an increase of 1.9% from 2016.
History
The community is located on the western edge of Clementsport and immediatel ...
, the son of John Cumming Newcombe and Abigail H. Calkin, he received a
Bachelor of Arts degree in 1878 and a
Master of Arts
A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...
degree in 1881 from
Dalhousie University
Dalhousie University (commonly known as Dal) is a large public research university in Nova Scotia, Canada, with three campuses in Halifax, a fourth in Bible Hill, and a second medical school campus in Saint John, New Brunswick. Dalhousie offe ...
. He received a
Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Ch ...
degree in 1881 from the short-lived University of Halifax.
Career
In 1882, he was called to the Nova Scotia Bar and started to practise law.
In 1893, he became
Deputy Minister of Justice and was called to the Ontario Bar, and was appointed
Queen's Counsel
In the United Kingdom and in some Commonwealth countries, a King's Counsel ( post-nominal initials KC) during the reign of a king, or Queen's Counsel (post-nominal initials QC) during the reign of a queen, is a lawyer (usually a barrister ...
shortly after. As Deputy Minister, he was responsible for all the legal work of the Canadian government.
He frequently appeared in person in front of the Supreme Court of Canada and the
Judicial Committee of the Privy Council
The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC) is the highest court of appeal for the Crown Dependencies, the British Overseas Territories, some Commonwealth countries and a few institutions in the United Kingdom. Established on 14 August ...
, appearing in more than thirty cases in front of the latter. He was appointed CMG in 1909.
In 1924, he was appointed to the Supreme Court and served until his death in 1931.
References
External links
Supreme Court of Canada biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Newcombe, Edmund
Justices of the Supreme Court of Canada
Canadian Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George
19th-century Canadian civil servants
20th-century Canadian civil servants
Schulich School of Law alumni
Canadian Presbyterians
1859 births
1931 deaths
Canadian King's Counsel