John Sissons
Encyclopedia
John Howard Sissons (July 14, 1892 - 11 November 1969) was a barrister
, author, judge
and a Canadian
federal politician.
, Ontario
and, at the age of four, contracted polio
, which injured his leg and he walked with a limp for the rest of his life. His father worked at the Orillia Mental Asylum and Sissons was also employed there during the summer. Having left Orillia to teach in both Ontario and Alberta
Sissons then moved to Kingston
to attend Queen's University
. In 1917 he returned to Alberta and passed the bar examination
at Edmonton
in 1920. He then moved to Grande Prairie
to practice law.
for the Peace River
electoral district in the 1940 Canadian federal election
. Representing the Liberal Party
he defeated incumbent René-Antoine Pelletier
to win a term in office. Sissons was defeated in the 1945 Canadian federal election
by Social Credit
leader Solon Earl Low
.
Sissons was appointed as the first judge to the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories
(then called the Territorial Court of the Northwest Territories) in 1955. He became the first judge to serve on the Supreme court since 1905. He made many landmark decisions, and was very fair in his rulings. One intriguing move he made was to hire an Inuit
carver to make soapstone carvings of prominent murder cases he presided over throughout the Far North; he was inspired to do this when he ruled in the favour of traditional justice in the case of a young boy, and the boy presented him with a soapstone carving after the trial. These carvings are on display in the present day Yellowknife Court House, and the collection continued to be added to by Justice William Morrow when he took Justice Sissons’ place.
in Yellowknife are named after him.
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
, author, judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
and 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...
federal politician.
Early life
Sissons was born in OrilliaOrillia, Ontario
Orillia, pronounced ōrĭl'ēə, is a city located in Simcoe County in Southern Ontario, Canada, between Lake Couchiching and Lake Simcoe, 135 kilometres north of Toronto.Originally incorporated as a village in 1867, the history of...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
and, at the age of four, contracted polio
Poliomyelitis
Poliomyelitis, often called polio or infantile paralysis, is an acute viral infectious disease spread from person to person, primarily via the fecal-oral route...
, which injured his leg and he walked with a limp for the rest of his life. His father worked at the Orillia Mental Asylum and Sissons was also employed there during the summer. Having left Orillia to teach in both Ontario and Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
Sissons then moved to Kingston
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
to attend Queen's University
Queen's University
Queen's University, , is a public research university located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Founded on 16 October 1841, the university pre-dates the founding of Canada by 26 years. Queen's holds more more than of land throughout Ontario as well as Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, England...
. In 1917 he returned to Alberta and passed the bar examination
Bar examination
A bar examination is an examination conducted at regular intervals to determine whether a candidate is qualified to practice law in a given jurisdiction.-Brazil:...
at Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
in 1920. He then moved to Grande Prairie
Grande Prairie, Alberta
Grande Prairie is a city in the northwestern part of the province of Alberta in Western Canada. It is located on the southern edge of the Peace River Country . The city is surrounded by the County of Grande Prairie No...
to practice law.
Federal politics
Sissons was elected to the Canadian House of CommonsCanadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
for the Peace River
Peace River (electoral district)
Peace River is a federal electoral district in Alberta, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1925. It is a rural riding in northwest Alberta, representing the counties of Saddle Hills, Birch Hills, Grande Prairie, Northern Lights, Mackenzie, and the municipal...
electoral district in the 1940 Canadian federal election
Canadian federal election, 1940
The Canadian federal election of 1940 was the 19th general election in Canadian history. It was held March 26, 1940 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 19th Parliament of Canada...
. Representing the Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
he defeated incumbent René-Antoine Pelletier
René-Antoine Pelletier
René-Antoine Pelletier was a station agent and a Canadian federal political politician.-Political career:Pelletier was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 1935 Canadian federal election. He ran as a Social Credit candidate defeated incumbent Member of Parliament Donald MacBeth...
to win a term in office. Sissons was defeated in the 1945 Canadian federal election
Canadian federal election, 1945
The Canadian federal election of 1945 was the 20th general election in Canadian history. It was held June 11, 1945 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 20th Parliament of Canada...
by Social Credit
Social Credit Party of Canada
The Social Credit Party of Canada was a conservative-populist political party in Canada that promoted social credit theories of monetary reform...
leader Solon Earl Low
Solon Earl Low
Solon Earl Low was a Canadian politician in the 20th century.Low was born in Cardston, Alberta, and was a farmer, school teacher and school principal. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta in the 1935 provincial that swept the Social Credit Party of Alberta to power...
.
Judge
After losing the 1945 election he was made a judge of the Alberta District Court and became the chief judge in 1950.Sissons was appointed as the first judge to the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories
Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories
The Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories is the name of two different superior courts for the Canadian territory of the Northwest Territories, which have existed at different times.The first Supreme Court of the North-West Territories was created in 1885...
(then called the Territorial Court of the Northwest Territories) in 1955. He became the first judge to serve on the Supreme court since 1905. He made many landmark decisions, and was very fair in his rulings. One intriguing move he made was to hire an Inuit
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
carver to make soapstone carvings of prominent murder cases he presided over throughout the Far North; he was inspired to do this when he ruled in the favour of traditional justice in the case of a young boy, and the boy presented him with a soapstone carving after the trial. These carvings are on display in the present day Yellowknife Court House, and the collection continued to be added to by Justice William Morrow when he took Justice Sissons’ place.
Heritage
Sissons Lake, Sissons Court (the street, not the hall of justice), and the Ecole J.H. Sissons SchoolÉcole J.H. Sissons School
Ecole J.H. Sissons School is an elementary school in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada, operated by Yellowknife Education District No. 1. The school is named for former Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories judge, John Sissons....
in Yellowknife are named after him.
External links
- 1962 Regina v. Sikyea NWT historical Timeline, Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre