Charles Dubin

For the film and television director, see Charles S. Dubin.

Charles Leonard Dubin,^[1] OC OOnt QC (April 4, 1921 – October 27, 2008) was a Canadian lawyer and former Chief Justice of Ontario. He is best known for leading the Dubin Inquiry into the use of steroids by athletes.

Early life

Born in Hamilton, Ontario, the son of Harry and Ethel Dubin,^[1] he received a B.A. from the University of Toronto in 1941 and an LL.B. from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1944. He was called to the Bar of Ontario in June 1944 and was created a King's Counsel in December 1950.^[2] In 1945, he married Anne Levine, who died in 2007. They had no children.^[1]

Legal and judicial career

He practised law with the law firm Kimber, Dubin, Brunner & Armstrong which later merged to form Tory Tory DesLauriers & Binnington where he was a counsel and a senior partner. In 1973, he was appointed to the Court of Appeal for Ontario. In 1987, he was appointed Associate Chief Justice and Chief Justice in 1990. He served until 1996 when he rejoined Torys as a Counsel.^[1]

He served on two Royal Commissions: the Royal Commission to Inquire into the Use of Drugs and Banned Practices Intended to Increase Athletic Performance (1988), in which sprinter Ben Johnson admitted wrongdoing, and the Royal Commission to Inquire into Aviation Safety in Canada (1979).^[2]

Honours

In 1997, he was awarded the Order of Ontario and was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in recognition for having made "a profound and lasting effect upon the Canadian judiciary".^[3] He was awarded honorary degrees from the University of Toronto, Law Society of Upper Canada, and York University.^[4]

Dubin died on October 27, 2008 after being hospitalized for ten days due to bacterial pneumonia.^[1] He was buried at the Holy Blossom Memorial Park in the Pardes Shalom Cemetery^[5] in Vaughan, Ontario just north of Toronto.

References