Quick Facts
Biography
Justice Walter Surma Tarnopolsky (1932 – 15 September 1993) was a Canadian judge, legal scholar, and pioneer in the development of human rights law and civil liberties in Canada.
Background and education
He was born in the farming community of Gronlid, Saskatchewan to parents of Ukrainian descent. He was educated at the University of Saskatchewan, receiving his B.A. in 1953 and his LLB in 1957. After completing his undergraduate education, he attended Columbia University, receiving his M.A. in 1955. He subsequently received his LLM from the London School of Economics.
| Degree | School | Year |
|---|---|---|
| BA | University of Saskatchewan | 1953 |
| MA | Columbia University | 1955 |
| LLB | University of Saskatchewan | 1957 |
| LLM | London School of Economics | 1962 |
Career
Tarnopolsky taught law at several Canadian universities, specialized in the field of human rights and civil liberties. Between 1959 and 1983, he was a professor of law with, variously, the University of Saskatchewan, University of Windsor, Osgoode Hall Law School of York University, and the University of Ottawa. He briefly served as the Vice-President (Academic) of York University in 1972 and was the dean of Law at the University of Windsor from 1968 to 1972.
| Year | Law School |
|---|---|
| 1959–1960 | University of Saskatchewan |
| 1962–1963 | University of Ottawa |
| 1963–1967 | University of Saskatchewan |
| 1967–1968 | Osgoode Hall Law School |
| 1968–1972 | University of Windsor |
| 1972–1979 | Osgoode Hall Law School |
| 1979–1983 | University of Ottawa |
From 1977 to 1983 he was a member of the United Nations Human Rights Committee, and in 1985, he was appointed to the Court of Appeal for Ontario. He served on the Court of Appeal until his death in 1993.
Publications
- Discrimination and the Law in Canada (1982)
- "Freedom of the press" in Newspapers and the Law (1981)
- The Canadian Bill of Rights (1966, 1975)