Malcolm Archibald Macdonald (June 20, 1875 – October 13, 1941) was a Canadian lawyer, politician and Chief Justice of British Columbia.

Biography

Malcolm Archibald Macdonald was born in Ashfield Township on June 20, 1875. He graduated from

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

in 1909 and began the practice of law in

London, Ontario London is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River (Ontario), Thames River and N ...

. He moved to

Cranbrook, British Columbia Cranbrook ( ) is a city in southeast British Columbia, Canada, located approximately 10 km southwest of the confluence of the Kootenay River and the St. Mary River (British Columbia), St. Mary's River. It is the largest urban centre in the region ...

where he ran for the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...

unsuccessfully in 1909. He moved again to

Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

in 1912 where he was elected in 1916. He served as the Attorney General of British Columbia from November 29, 1916 to May 14, 1917. He was re-elected in 1920 but resigned in 1921 to run federally (without success), after which he resumed private practice. He was appointed to the

British Columbia Court of Appeal The British Columbia Court of Appeal (BCCA) is the highest appellate court in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of British Columbia, Canada. It was established in 1910 following the 1907 Court of Appeal Act. Jurisdiction The ...

in May 1924. He was appointed Chief Justice of British Columbia in May 1940 and died at his home in Vancouver on October 13, 1941. He was buried in Mountain View Cemetery.

Personal life

He married Lena Baird on October 26, 1910. They had one son together. She died on August 11, 1913. He then remarried, to Ida Williams, on January 1, 1916. His son James Macdonald also served on the Court of Appeal from 1979 and his son Alex Macdonald was Attorney General from 1972 to 1975.

References

1875 births 1941 deaths Attorneys general of British Columbia BC United MLAs Burials at Mountain View Cemetery (Vancouver) Judges in British Columbia Lawyers in British Columbia Osgoode Hall Law School alumni People from Huron County, Ontario 20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia {{BCUnited-BritishColumbia-MLA-stub