Thibaudeau Rinfret (June 22, 1879 – July 25, 1962) 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 of ...

jurist and the ninth

Chief Justice of Canada The chief justice of Canada (french: juge en chef du Canada) is the presiding judge of the nine-member Supreme Court of Canada, the highest judicial body in Canada. As such, the chief justice is the highest-ranking judge of the Canadian court s ...

and Administrator of Canada in 1952.

Early life

Rinfret was born in Montreal in 1879, the son of François-Olivier Rinfret and Albina Pominville. He was the brother of

Fernand Rinfret Louis-Édouard-Fernand Rinfret (February 28, 1883 – July 12, 1939) was a Canadian politician. Biography He was elected to the House of Commons of Canada for the Montreal riding of St. James in a 1920 by-election. A Liberal, he was re-ele ...

, Liberal politician who became Mayor of Montreal, and brother of Charles Rinfret, a prominent Montreal businessman."Rinfret, Fernand", by Benoit Langval, ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography'', Vol. XVI (1931–1940).
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Professional career

Rinfret studied law at the Université Laval à Montréal, Faculté de droit and

McGill University McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill Univer ...

and was called to the

Bar of Quebec The Bar of Quebec (french: Barreau du Québec) is the regulatory body for the practice of advocates in the Canadian province of Quebec and one of two legal regulatory bodies in the province. It was founded on May 30, 1849, as the Bar of Lower Ca ...

in 1901. He was appointed to the

Quebec Superior Court The Superior Court of Quebec (french: Cour supérieure du Québec) is a superior trial court in the Province of Quebec, in Canada. It consists of 157 judges who are appointed by the federal government. Appeals from this court are taken to the Qu ...

in 1922 and to the

Supreme Court of Canada The Supreme Court of Canada (SCC; french: Cour suprême du Canada, CSC) is the Supreme court, highest court in the Court system of Canada, judicial system of Canada. It comprises List of Justices of the Supreme Court of Canada, nine justices, wh ...

in 1924. Rinfret became Chief Justice on January 8, 1944, and served until his retirement on June 22, 1954. During his term as Chief Justice, Canada ended appeals to 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 Aug ...

making the Supreme Court of Canada the final court of appeal in Canadian jurisprudence. Rinfret was

Administrator of the Government An administrator (administrator of the government or officer administering the government) in the constitutional practice of some countries in the Commonwealth is a person who fulfils a role similar to that of a governor or a governor-general. ...

in 1952 after the departure of

Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis Harold Rupert Leofric George Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis, (10 December 1891 – 16 June 1969) was a senior British Army officer who served with distinction in both the First and the Second World War and, afterwards, as Governor G ...

, and until

Vincent Massey Charles Vincent Massey (February 20, 1887December 30, 1967) was a Canadian lawyer and diplomat who served as Governor General of Canada, the 18th since Confederation. Massey was the first governor general of Canada who was born in Canada after ...

could officially be sworn in as Governor General of Canada. During this time he proclaimed Elizabeth II as Queen of Canada, following the death of

King George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of In ...

Personal life

His son was the Quebec politician and judge Édouard Rinfret.

Electoral record

References

External links

Supreme Court of Canada Biography
* 1879 births 1962 deaths Chief justices of Canada Governors General of Canada Lawyers in Quebec McGill University alumni Université de Montréal Faculty of Law alumni McGill University Faculty of Law alumni Canadian members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Members of the King's Privy Council for Canada Grand Officiers of the Légion d'honneur Canadian King's Counsel Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Gregory the Great Members of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council Université Laval alumni {{Canada-law-bio-stub