Helen Alice Kinnear, (May 6, 1894 – April 25, 1970) was a Canadian lawyer and judge. She was the first woman in the

British Commonwealth The Commonwealth of Nations, simply referred to as the Commonwealth, is a political association of 56 member states, the vast majority of which are former territories of the British Empire. The chief institutions of the organisation are the Co ...

to be made a

King'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 or ...

, the first female lawyer to argue before 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 ...

, and the first woman appointed as a judge by the

Government of Canada The government of Canada (french: gouvernement du Canada) is the body responsible for the federal administration of Canada. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown is the corporation sole, assuming distinct roles: the executive, as the ''Crown-i ...

Early life

Kinnear was born in

Cayuga Cayuga often refers to: * Cayuga people, a native tribe to North America, part of the Iroquois Confederacy * Cayuga language, the language of the Cayuga Cayuga may also refer to: Places Canada * Cayuga, Ontario United States * Cayuga, Illinoi ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

, Canada. Her father, Louis Kinnear, was well-known lawyer who practiced in Port Colborne and Welland County. She graduated from the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...

. Afterward she attended

Osgoode Hall Law School Osgoode Hall Law School, commonly shortened to Osgoode, is the law school of York University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The law school is home to the Law Commission of Ontario, the Journal of Law and Social Policy, and the ''Osgoode Hall La ...

and was called to the

bar, to become a lawyer, in 1920.

Career

Photograph of Helen Alice Kinnear (1894-1970) (12122146913)

Kinnear practised law in

Port Colborne Port Colborne is a city in Ontario, Canada that is located on Lake Erie, at the southern end of the Welland Canal, in the Niagara Region of Southern Ontario. The original settlement, known as Gravelly Bay, dates from 1832 and was renamed afte ...

, Ontario, where she initially practised with her father, who renamed the firm Kinnear & Kinnear. When her father died in 1924, she opened her own practice. In 1934, she became the first woman in the

to be created a

. In 1935, she became the first female lawyer in Canada to appear before the

Politics

Kinnear was an active member of the

Liberal Party of Canada The Liberal Party of Canada (french: Parti libéral du Canada, region=CA) is a federal political party in Canada. The party espouses the principles of liberalism,McCall, Christina; Stephen Clarkson"Liberal Party". ''The Canadian Encyclopedia' ...

. She was active in overcoming women's inequality in society and in the Liberal party. In 1941, after two previous failed attempts, Kinnear was made the Liberal party's nominee for the Welland Riding. It appeared that she would soon win election to

Parliament of Canada The Parliament of Canada (french: Parlement du Canada) is the federal legislature of Canada, seated at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, and is composed of three parts: the King, the Senate, and the House of Commons. By constitutional convention, ...

. However, she later relinquished the role to

Humphrey Mitchell Humphrey Mitchell, (September 9, 1894 – August 1, 1950) was a Canadian politician and trade unionist. Life and career A land surveyor employed with Hamilton Hydro, Mitchell was active with the union movement in the city. Upon the deat ...

, the newly appointed Minister of Labour who did not have a seat. Kinnear never ran again.

Judge

In 1943, Kinnear was appointed county-court judge for Haldimand County, becoming the first woman in Canadian history to be appointed a judge by the federal government. Kinnear saw the appointment as not just a personal victory, but a "victory" for women. In 1947 she was appointed judge of the Juvenile Court. She was the first woman in the Commonwealth appointed to a county-court bench. When she attended a Commonwealth and Empire Law conference in 1955, she was noted as the "only woman in the Commonwealth to have been made a county court judge".

Royal Commissions

In 1954, Kinnear was appointed to two Royal Commissions: the Royal Commission for the Criminal Law Relating to Sexual Psychopaths and the Royal Commission Relating to the Defense of Insanity.

Retirement

Kinnear retired from her role as a judge in 1961 because of illness and moved back to Port Colborne. Kinnear, who never married, lived with her sister Jennie. Kinnear died on April 25, 1970, in Port Colborne.

Legacy

In 1965, Kinnear was awarded a medallion from the

John Howard Society The John Howard Society of Canada is a Canadian non-profit organization that seeks to develop understanding and effective responses to the problem of crime and prison reform. It is named after John Howard, a philanthropist and early English pr ...

of Ontario for "Distinguished Humanitarian Service". The medallion was minted by

INCO Vale Canada Limited (formerly Vale Inco, CVRD Inco and Inco Limited; for corporate branding purposes simply known as "Vale" and pronounced in English) is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Brazilian mining company Vale. Vale's nickel mining and ...

in her home town of Port Colborne. In 1993

Canada Post Canada Post Corporation (french: Société canadienne des postes), trading as Canada Post (french: Postes Canada), is a Crown corporation that functions as the primary postal operator in Canada. Originally known as Royal Mail Canada (the operat ...

issued a

commemorative stamp A commemorative stamp is a postage stamp, often issued on a significant date such as an anniversary, to honor or commemorate a place, event, person, or object. The ''subject'' of the commemorative stamp is usually spelled out in print, unlike defi ...

to honour Kinnear's achievements.

Kinnear House

Kinnear House was Helen Kinnear's residence from 1904 to 1942. The house was built by lawyer Louis Kinnear in 1904. In 1999, Kinnear House, situated at 232 Clarence Street,

, was added to the database of Heritage Port Colborne's Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee for the purpose of publicizing Kinnear's residence as a noteworthy local property.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kinnear, Helen Alice 1894 births 1970 deaths Judges in Ontario Canadian women judges Lawyers in Ontario Canadian women lawyers Canadian King's Counsel Osgoode Hall Law School alumni People from Haldimand County People from Port Colborne 20th-century women lawyers