Richard Wagner (judge)

Richard Wagner PC (French pronunciation: [vaɡnɛʁ];^[2] born April 2, 1957) is a Canadian jurist serving as the 18th and current Chief Justice of Canada since 2017. He previously served as a puisne justice of the Quebec Court of Appeal (2011–2012) and of the Supreme Court of Canada (2012–2017). For several months in 2021, following Julie Payette's resignation as Canada's governor general, Wagner was the administrator of the government of Canada as well as chief justice.

The Right Honourable Richard Wagner PC
Wagner in 2012
18th Chief Justice of Canada
Incumbent
Assumed office December 18, 2017
Nominated by	Justin Trudeau
Appointed by	Julie Payette
Preceded by	Beverley McLachlin
Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada
In office October 5, 2012 – December 18, 2017
Nominated by	Stephen Harper
Appointed by	David Johnston
Preceded by	Marie Deschamps
Succeeded by	Sheilah Martin
Puisne Justice of the Quebec Court of Appeal
In office February 3, 2011 – October 5, 2012
Nominated by	Stephen Harper
Appointed by	David Johnston
Preceded by	Lise Côté
Succeeded by	Dominique Bélanger
Personal details
Born	(1957-04-02) April 2, 1957 (age 67) Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Spouse	Catherine Mandeville
Children	2[1]
Parent	Claude Wagner (father)
Alma mater	Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf (DEC) University of Ottawa (BSocSc, LLL)

Early life

Wagner was born in Montreal, Quebec, to a French Canadian Catholic family as the son of Gisèle (née Normandeau) and Claude Wagner, a former member of Parliament and senator.^[3] He studied at the Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf in Montreal before receiving a bachelor of social science degree in political science from the University of Ottawa in 1978. He received his Licentiate in Law (LL.L.) – a Quebec Civil Law equivalent of the Bachelor of Laws degree (LLB) – from the same institution in 1979.^[3]

Career

Private practice and early judicial career

In 1980, Wagner was called to the Quebec Bar, and began practice at the Montreal law firm Lavery, de Billy (formerly Lavery, O'Brien and Lavery, Johnston, Clark, Carrière, Mason & Associés). His practice centred on real estate, commercial litigation and professional liability insurance.^[3]

He was appointed to the Superior Court of Quebec for the district of Montreal on September 24, 2004. On February 3, 2011, he was elevated to the Court of Appeal of Quebec.

Supreme Court of Canada

On October 2, 2012, Prime Minister Stephen Harper nominated him to the Supreme Court of Canada to replace retiring Justice Marie Deschamps.^[4] His appointment was confirmed on October 5, 2012.^[5]

On December 3, 2012, a ceremony was held for Wagner's appointment in the Supreme Court of Canada courtroom. The event was attended by Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin, the federal minister of justice and attorney general, Rob Nicholson, and the Quebec deputy minister of justice, Nathalie G. Drouin.^[6]

On December 12, 2017, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed Wagner as Beverly McLachlin's successor as chief justice of Canada.^[7][8]

In 2023, Wagner was criticized for his handling of the complaint against puisne judge Russell Brown, which led to the latter's resignation. Brown's lawyer cast doubt on Wagner's assertion that Brown had agreed to step aside from the Court during the investigation.^[9]

In 2024, Wagner was criticized by lawyers for having a bust of himself exhibited inside the Supreme Court building. The court refused to disclose the identity of the person who paid for the bust, which raised concerns about the court's transparency.^[10] Some also said that it was improper for a sitting judge to have a bust of himself exhibited publicly.^[10]

Wagner was also criticized for excessive foreign travel as chief justice, as well as overstepping the court's constitutional role.^[11]

Administrator of Canada

On January 23, 2021, Wagner became Administrator of the Government of Canada following Governor General Julie Payette's resignation in response to a workplace harassment investigation. By virtue of royal letters patent issued in 1947, the chief justice of Canada is the ex officio principal deputy to the governor general, and may act as governor general when the office is vacant.^[12][13] Only justices of the Supreme Court of Canada are authorized to perform federal viceregal duties on an acting basis. He ceased to hold office as administrator on July 26, 2021, following Mary Simon's appointment as governor general.^[14][13] Serving for six months, Wagner was the longest-serving administrator of Canada in history.^[15]

Personal life

Wagner is a Roman Catholic.^[16] Wagner's father Claude was also a jurist. His grandfather was a German Jewish immigrant originally from Bavaria. Wagner has two children who are also lawyers.^[1]

Honours

Coat of arms

Coat of arms of Richard Wagner

Granted 2024[17] Armiger Richard Wagner Crest An eagle lectern of two heads Gules beaked and embellished Or; Escutcheon Per pale Gules and Azure an escarbuncle of six rays Argent surmounted by a rose Or barbed Vert; Supporters Two rams Argent accorné and unguled Or, each holding a violin Compartment A field set with tulips and linden leaves proper in front of a crenellated wall Or; Motto Le passé inspire l'avenir Symbolism Red and blue, representing Canada and Quebec respectively, symbolize equity and justice for Chief Justice Wagner, with the balanced colors reflecting these ideals. The escarbuncle references his name, derived from a wheelwright, and as an ancient heraldic symbol, it highlights his work in strengthening legal protections. Its spokes represent his diverse legal specialties and affiliations, emphasizing the breadth of his career and commitment to inclusion, diversity, and access to justice. The rose honors his parents, while the lectern, combining the lawyer's stand and the eagle's keen eye, symbolizes his advocacy skills, balance, and European and Canadian heritage. The French motto, “The past inspires the future,” underscores his focus on history’s lessons to build a more inclusive society and honors his father’s public service. Additional symbols—the ram for determination, the violin for musical heritage, the wall for justice’s strength, the tulip for Ottawa’s emblem, and the linden leaf for love and relaxation—capture Chief Justice Wagner’s personal and professional legacy.

Scholastic

Honorary degrees

Location	Date	School	Degree	Gave Commencement Address
Ontario	June 19, 2019	University of Ottawa	Doctorate	Yes[18]
Ontario	June 14, 2023	Law Society of Ontario	Doctorate	No

Memberships and fellowships

Country	Date	Organization	Position
United States		American College of Trial Lawyers	Honorary Fellow[19]
Ireland		The Honorable Society of King’s Inns	Honorary Bencher[20]
England		The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple	Honorary Bencher
Canada		Friends of the McGill Library	Honorary Friend
Canada		Action Committee on Access to Justice in Civil and Family Matters	Honorary President

See also

• Reasons of the Supreme Court of Canada by Chief Justice Wagner

References

1. MacCharles, Tonda (December 12, 2017). "Justin Trudeau names Richard Wagner new Chief Justice of Canada". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on December 12, 2017. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
2. Richard Wagner sworn in as Supreme Court chief justice. YouTube. The Canadian Press. December 19, 2017. Event occurs at 0s, 18s, and 32s. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
3. Quebec Court of Appeal. The Honourable Richard Wagner. Retrieved October 2, 2012. Archived May 17, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
4. CBC News (October 2, 2012). "Quebec judge Richard Wagner nominated to Supreme Court" . Retrieved October 2, 2012.
5. The Canadian Press. "CBC News - MP questions 'introduce' Supreme Court nominee Wagner Montreal judge is Conservative government's 5th appointment". CBC News. Archived from the original on December 11, 2012. Retrieved October 5, 2012.
6. "Supreme Court welcomes Justice Wagner to bench". CBC.ca. December 3, 2012. Archived from the original on December 4, 2012. Retrieved December 3, 2012.
7. "Prime Minister names the Honourable Richard Wagner as new Chief Justice of Canada". pm.gc.ca (Press release). PMO. December 12, 2017. Archived from the original on July 23, 2019. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
8. "News Releases - SCC Cases (Lexum)". scc-csc.lexum.com (Press release). December 12, 2017. Archived from the original on December 12, 2017. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
9. Nardi, Christopher (June 15, 2023). "Lawyer appears to cast doubt on statement by Canada's chief justice about Russell Brown's resignation". National Post.
10. Nardi, Christopher (July 17, 2024). "Supreme Court won't disclose mysterious donor behind expensive gift for chief justice". National Post.
11. Selley, Chris (April 27, 2024). "Chris Selley: Canada's Supreme Court justices gone wild". National Post.
12. Burke, Ashley (January 21, 2021). "Payette stepping down as governor general after blistering report on Rideau Hall work environment". CBC News. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
13. Platt, Brian [@btaplatt] (January 25, 2021). "For clarity's sake, I asked PCO to confirm Payette is fully and completely out of the role and that CJ Richard Wagner has been sworn in as administrator. PCO confirms that's the case, says Wagner was sworn in on Saturday, Jan. 23. https://t.co/hZW2cv66b4" (Tweet). Archived from the original on January 25, 2021. Retrieved June 14, 2021 – via Twitter.
14. Graham Slaughter (January 21, 2021). "Canada's top judge is now Governor General, but expert urges speedy replacement". CTVNEWS. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
15. John Paul Tasker, "Six months after former GG Payette's resignation, chief justice still juggling two jobs", CBC News, June 17, 2021.
16. "Richard Wagner". Canadian Who's Who 2014-2015. Toronto: Third Sector Publishing, 2015.
17. "Richard Wagner". The Governor General of Canada. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
18. "WAGNER, Richard". Office of the President. Archived from the original on August 15, 2021. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
19. "Honorary Fellows". www.actl.com. Archived from the original on August 9, 2020. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
20. "The Right Honourable Richard Wagner, P.C., Chief Justice of Canada". Supreme Court of Canada. January 2001. Retrieved April 26, 2023.

Order of precedence
Preceded by Justin Trudeau as Prime Minister	Order of Precedence of Canada as Chief Justice	Succeeded by Edward Schreyer as Former Governor General