James Chalmers McRuer, (August 23, 1890 – October 6, 1985) was a Canadian

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 lawyer, judge, commissioner and author in Ontario.

Born in Oxford County, Ontario

Oxford County, Ontario

Oxford County is a regional municipality and census division of the Canadian province of Ontario, located in the Southern portion of the province. The regional seat is in Woodstock...

, he received his law education from the Osgoode Hall Law School

Osgoode Hall Law School

Osgoode Hall Law School is a Canadian law school, located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and affiliated with York University. Named after the first Chief Justice of Ontario, William Osgoode, the law school was established by The Law Society of Upper Canada in 1889 and was the only accredited law...

 and was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1913. During World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

, he served in the Canadian Field Artillery

Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery

The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery is the artillery personnel branch of the Canadian Forces .-History:...

 as a Lieutenant. After the war, from 1921 to 1925 he was an Assistant Crown Attorney

Crown Attorney Office (Canada)

The Crown Attorney Office are in charge of prosecuting most criminal cases in Canada. For the most part the official and office are under the jusrisdiction of provincial Attorneys General . in charge of criminal cases at provincial level. They are spread out across the province by municipal districts...

 for Toronto

Toronto

Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

 and County of York. From 1930 to 1935, he was a lecturer at Osgoode Hall Law School. In 1944, he was appointed to the Court of Appeal for Ontario and in 1945 was appointed Chief Justice of the High Court of Justice for the Province of Ontario. He resigned in 1964.

As Chief Justice he served on various Royal Commissions and was Chairman of the Ontario Law Reform Commission from 1964 to 1966 and Vice-Chairman until 1977.

He wrote the books The Evolution of the Judicial Process (1957) and The Trial of Jesus (1978).

In 1968, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada

Order of Canada

The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...

"for his services in the profession of law and as a member of many Royal Commissions".