Commemoration

Born at Brockville and called to the bar of Upper Canada in 1837, Richards represented Leeds in the Legislative Assembly (1848-53) and served as Attorney General for Canada West in the Hincks-Morin administration (1851-3).  Appointed puisne judge of the Court of Common Pleas in 1853, he became Chief Justice of that Court in 1863 and Chief Justice of the Ontario Queen’s Bench in 1868.  When the Supreme Court of Canada was formed in 1875, Richards became its first Chief Justice and continued in that position until his retirement in 1879.  He died at Ottawa.