Paths to the Bench

An in-depth look at how powerful men, social organizations, and eastern politicians influenced judicial appointments in early 20th-century Manitoba.

A close study of the judges appointed in early 20th-century Manitoba, revealing Canada’s highly political judicial appointment process.

A lawyer wanting to become a judge in early 20th-century Manitoba could attract the attention of his peers through his work – but it was a friendship with a powerful mentor that got him to the bench. In Paths to the Bench, Dale Brawn looks at the appointments and careers of early judges who were charged with laying the legal foundations of a province. By looking at both official records and correspondence from this era, Brawn uncovers the highly political nature of the judicial appointment process and the intricate bonds that ensured that judges acquired the values not of their society, but of their fellowship groups. A fascinating look at the careers of practical, hard-headed, and influential judges, Paths to the Bench is also an incisive study of the political nature of Canada’s judicial appointment process.